On Friday, Jan. 18, the Wellington High School basketball squad hosted district rival John I. Leonard High School and held on to defeat the Lancers 69-57, behind Linton Brown’s 23 points.
The Wolverines (13-5, 4-1) jumped out to a six-point run and led 10-2 early in the first period, which forced the Lancers to call a time out. John I. Leonard pushed back through the first half, trailing by nine points, to tie the game at 27-27 with 1:31 remaining in the half. The Lancers took the lead 30-28 with under a minute to play.
Brown hit a buzzer-beating three-point basket to lift the Wolverines back in the lead 31-30 to conclude a thrilling first half, despite the Lancers outscoring Wellington in the second period 16-6.
Wellington was able to find some momentum entering the second half and carried the lead into the final period 48-42, but the Lancers kept clipping at the Wolverines’ heels. The Wolverines put a mid-period surge to lead by ten, 56-46.
Wellington put up 38 points in the fourth period, including two three-point baskets by Leonty Frazier and Chris Walker, to take some steam out of the Lancers. The final period performance by the Wolverine offense propelled them to the 69-57 victory.
Four players scored double-digits for the Wolverines. Brown had 23 points and two three-point baskets, Trey Perry had 13 points, Chris Walker put up 11 points and a three-point basket, and Myles Samuels also had 11 points.
Wellington had games this week against Coral Park, Palm Beach Gardens and Seminole Ridge high schools, but results were not available by press time. The Wolverines will be on the road Tuesday, Jan. 29 against Jupiter High School at 6 p.m., and will host Palm Beach Central School on Friday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m. in a much-anticipated rematch. The Broncos recently defeated the Wolverines for the first time since 2008.
