Chapelgate topples Beth T’filoh for first place in MIAA C Conference

Thursday evening’s boys basketball matchup between host Chapelgate Christian and Beth T’filoh was supposed to be a battle for first place in the MIAA C Conference but the visiting Warriors didn’t put up much of a fight.

Beth T’filoh came out flat, with a lack of intensity and couldn’t handle the Yellowjackets, who came away with a 73-54 rout in a rematch of last season’s league title game that saw Chapelgate claim a 64-47 victory (Click here for video highlights of that game).

“We didn’t have the effort that we needed to beat a talented team like this,” Beth T’filoh coach Brian Hubbard said.  “With a team like [Chapelgate], you’ve got come with some more effort because they are going to play hard.  You have to match their intensity or bring it up a notch.”

“I’m sure their coach reminded them all week about last year.  We were a little nervous because their style of play can take you out of a game. They play hard all the time,” said Chapelgate coach Frick Frierson.

Senior forward Winfield Taylor scored 19 points and added 14 rebounds to power the Yellowjackets (12-4 overall, 4-0 league), who have won their last 13 games in conference play dating back to last year.

Matt Phillips added 12 points, while newcomer Chika Obi had 11 and seven boards.  Chisom Uzosike contributed 10 points and point guard Nate Frierson had six points and six assists.

“We wanted to make the statement that we want to win another championship this year,” said Taylor.  “So we just had to do what we do, we played hard and won this game.”

Tani Weissman netted a game-high 32 points for Beth T’filoh (13-7, 3-1).  Eli Pottash and Josh Flax combined to score 13 points.

Chapelgate led from start to finish and its lead was as much as 24 points at one point.  During a timeout in the first quarter, Hubbard told his team that they were giving a “lackluster” performance.

The Yellowjackets had a 29-13 advantage at halftime and after a bucket from beyond the arc by Taylor and an old-fashioned three-point play by Phillips, Chapelgate pushed its lead to 42-22 with 3:53 to play in the third quarter.

Adam Venick’s three sparked a 9-2 run by the Warriors but the game was too far out of reach by then.   

“I thought in the last five minutes of the game, we had the effort that we should have had from the beginning of the game,” Hubbard said.

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