The Milan News-Leader
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WCA grabs share of conference crown, 71-40
Wildcats overcome obstacles to claim third straight Mid-South title
By Jerry Hinnen, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: February 28, 2008
The Washtenaw Christian Academy boys' basketball team traveled a rocky road at times this season, but they still ended up where they needed to go.
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The Wildcats claimed a share of their third consecutive Mid-South conference title Thursday with a 71-40 dismantling of visiting Calhoun Christian in their final regular season game.
"They really got after it on defense. That's as well as we've run our defense all year," said WCA head coach Steve Livingston. "Everybody was helping, everybody was jumping out on (Calhoun's) high pick-and-roll. When you're playing that well on defense, it feeds everything else and that's what got our offense going."
WCA finished the year 8-2 in Mid-South play and 9-11 overall, despite losing leading returning scorer Nick Livingston for most of the season to injury and facing various other illness and eligibility issues.
"This was only the third game this season where we've had our full team," Steve Livingston said. "It's been a roller coaster. So to win another league title, that's a big accomplishment for us."
With the team finally intact and a championship on the line, the Wildcats showed in the second quarter they weren't about to let the opportunity slip away. After leading 13-9 at the end of the first and 16-11 early in the second, back-to-back baskets from Livingston sparked a 10-0 run capped by a Jesse Pipe basket with 4:17 in the half.
WCA would continue to pour it on, leading by as many as 19 at 32-13 following a basket by center Justin Govan, and led 38-20 at the break after the 25-point second-quarter explosion.
It was more of the same in the second half as Livingston and Pipe opened the third quarter with baskets and the Wildcats would go on to outscore the Cougars 19-10 in the period, taking an insurmountable 57-30 advantage into the final quarter.
The Wildcat lead would grow to as many as 34 points in the fourth, giving WCA an opportunity to empty their bench and the crowd a chance to celebrate a late basket by fan favorite Kevin Stout.
Govan led the way for the Wildcats with 16 points, followed by Livingston with 16, Keith Hardnett with 13, Tanner Goss with eight, Pipe with six, Mason Duling with five, and Stout, Chris Taylor, and Matt Bird with two. Ethan Galindez also took the floor for the Wildcats.
Steve Livingston hoped his team's performance would give them momentum as they headed into Monday nights' district tournament clash with Britton-Macon in Adrian. The Wildcats and Tories have met in district play for the last three seasons, with WCA winning the first battle and Macon the most recent two.
"Hopefully, the way we played tonight will carry over and give us some confidence," Livingston said. "If we can duplicate our defensive effort from tonight, we'll be in the game."
Britton-Macon 73, WCA 64
In late Monday action, the Tories eliminated WCA in Adrian by nine points.
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