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Transition Phase: JPII runs past Plano in tourney opener
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
IRVING -- In its first five wins this season, the John Paul II boys basketball team possesses a 28.4-point margin of victory.
While Thursday didn't produce an outcome of that discrepancy, it was a double-digit win for the Cardinals nonetheless, taking a 57-46 decision over Plano Senior in the first round of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Classic.
"It feels great anytime you can get a win against a good team like Plano," said Jacob Anderson, John Paul head coach. "Our guys were looking forward to this game for a while and this was a really big challenge for us."
John Paul forced a turnover on Plano's ensuing possession that was converted into a layup. The Cardinals rinsed and repeated, claiming eight takeaways in the opening quarter for a quick 15-10 advantage.
Eight of John Paul's points came behind the attack-minded offense of senior Chandler Malone, who led the squad with 19 on the night.
"We just played very uninspired to start the game," said Phil Parlin, Plano head coach. "By watching it, I think this meant a little more to [John Paul] than it did to us which is unfortunate on our end."
The Wildcats didn't help their cause one quarter later, only able to muster four points on a pair of corner jumpers by senior Raivon Smith and junior Chris Andersen.
"We settled way too much for jumpers," Parlin said. "We didn't shoot well and didn't get back on defense in transition well at all either."
John Paul didn't relent, forcing five more turnovers and finding its touch from beyond the arc -- particularly senior Jason Martin, who strung together an 11-0 run on his own that included three 3-pointers for an eventual 17 points total.
"[Martin] went to Plano three years ago and was feeling good about this game," Anderson said. "He's been playing well for the last three games and continued with that tonight."
The Wildcats were outscored, 19-4, in the second quarter and trailed, 34-14, in its largest halftime deficit of the season thus far.
Credit the John Paul defense, which stole the ball 10 times on the evening and through one half, limited the Wildcats to just two made baskets in the paint.
"Our defense has been solid all year long," Anderson said. "We do a really good job of helping each other out and our defense is the backbone of this team."
The unit also kept Plano's two primary scorers -- senior Dustin Bercutt and junior Broderick Perkins -- in check for much of the contest. Despite opening the game with four points, Perkins didn't score again until the fourth quarter en route to seven overall and Bercutt didn't find the bottom of the net until there was 2:08 remaining in the third quarter.
All Bercutt's offense came in the second half, albeit a productive stretch for the forward who led Plano with 13 points on the night.
It wasn't enough to dent the Cardinals' stranglehold which grew to 48-24 after three quarter before Plano enjoyed a 22-9 advantage in the fourth frame to whittle the deficit to the final tally of 57-46. Bercutt and Perkins combined for 12 of those points, while senior Sheldon O'Neal knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to total eight points overall.
"We just didn't play inspired and unfortunately nobody stepped it up," Parlin said. "The guys kept fighting though, and played hard but we needed that kind of intensity earlier in the ball game."
The setback dropped Plano to 3-2 on the season while the Cardinals improved to 6-1. Plano continues play at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday when it travels to Lake Highlands while John Paul next takes to court Thursday for the Allen Classic.
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