The Wellington High School boys basketball team hosted Jupiter High School on Tuesday, Jan. 14 in a big district matchup, besting the Warriors 58-43 to earn a fourth-straight win. The victory also retained the Wolverines unbeaten district record at 4-0, and 13-4 overall.
Wellington’s freshman sensation Marvel Allen led the Wolverines, scoring a total of 17 points and totaled seven rebounds. De’ante Perez ran a close second with 15 points, four three-point baskets and recorded six rebounds.
It was the defense that took a bulk of the responsibility on the night, according to Wellington head coach Matt Colin.
“I think that defensively, we were very good,” he explained. “I think we really did a good job of stopping the penetration and really forcing them to shoot from the outside.”
Colin explained that Jupiter’s ability to make runs to the net was a concern, as was his defense for competing with a team that has averaged nearly 68 points per game, despite an 8-5 record.
The score stayed in single digits halfway through the first period, as both teams were entangled with trying to steal the momentum. At the conclusion of the period, the Wolverines held a two-point advantage, 14-12.
In the second period, Wellington stole the momentum and went on a 10-point run, leading 24-12 and appeared to take command before halftime. Jupiter pushed back and dug into the Wolverine lead to close the margin late in the period, ending the half 27-23.
The second half belonged to the Wolverines. Defensively, they locked down the Warriors, limiting them to just five points in the third period. Twenty-eight second half points were the difference, combined with the stellar defensive play by Wellington that led to the victory. Late in the game, Wellington was able to maintain possession and control the tempo of play to secure the win.
“I think we did a better job of rebounding the basketball,” Colin said. “We haven’t done very well through the season so far, but tonight, I thought we did a much better job. I think that’s something we’re going to need, because every team’s big. We’ve got to be able to box out, we’ve got to rebound, and we’ve got to limit teams to one shot.”
