Basketball Playoffs: Western Tech Boys Fall to Havre de Grace

Warriors coach Johnny Brooks rarely finds the positive in a defeat.

But Monday night, he reflected on last week’s conference championship loss with appreciation. It’s easier to do that when you’re advancing in the postseason.

The Warriors took down visiting Western Tech, 63-41, to advance to the Class 1A North region semifinal. No. 4 seed Havre de Grace will visit No. 1 seed Owings Mills Wednesday for a chance to advance to the MPSSAA Class 1A North region title game. Owings Mills eliminated the Warriors from the playoffs last season in Havre de Grace.

Brooks credited the team’s re-focused efforts after an unlikely loss to North Harford in the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference title game last week.

“I think it may have gotten us back to where we needed to be focus-wise,” Brooks said. “I thought we played pretty well. Only three turnovers in the second half.”

The Warriors had a size disadvantage in the low post Monday, but their physical guards proved to be the difference. Senior forward Monty Werts, defended for much of the night by similar-sized guards from Western Tech, led all scorers with 18 points. He also added ten rebounds.

“I think when they look at him, he’s a guard’s size. But he’s an undersized power forward, that’s how he likes to look at himself,” Brooks said. “He jumps really well and has a good body. I think they did have mismatch problems with him tonight.”

Travonn Bond bounced back from a tough game in the UCBAC championship with ten points and eight assists Monday night.

The Warriors didn’t take a single three-point shot in the second half. They didn’t have to.

Western Tech got out to a 10-3 lead three-and-a-half minutes into the game behind a pair of early three-pointers. But the Warriors—sparked by six straight points from Werts—went on an 11-0 run to pull ahead, 14-10. They would never trail again.

Western Tech hung around, but a 7-2 start to the second half gave Havre de Grace some more breathing room.

Sammy Collins led Western Tech with 13, while Keith Crowell had 12 and Andre Jackson had nine. Cory Tabb had six, while Jerome McKoy had three and Theo Pitts had two.

Werts was big throughout. Classmate Dayshawn Bolling added seven fourth-quarter points as the Warriors ran out the clock.

“For our seniors, we talked about how this might be their last time playing in this gym,” Brooks said. “You want to go out on a good note.”

Alongside 18 from Werts, 10 from Bond and nine from Bolling, the Warriors got nine from Trevell Malloy—who missed much of the second half with a hand injury—and eight from Nate Jones. Jevon Hill-Gee had four and Kevin Holloway had three.

Sammy Collins led Western Tech with 13, while Keith Crowell had 12 and Andre Jackson had nine. Cory Tabb had six, while Jerome McKoy had three and Theo Pitts had two.