Demons hoops establish new identity by taking two from bears

mbrown@sunmulti.com

Who are they?

Anyone who is not involved with Warner Robins High School

day after day would probably say that very thing about a majority of the names

on the varsity basketball rosters for both the boys and girls programs in

2012-13.

If the Demons and Demonettes were no-names before Friday,

they did a lot to change that perception when both teams gutted out Region

2-AAAAA victories at home against the city rival Houston County High Bears.

Tom Mobley, no stranger to building winners as Warner Robins

girls basketball coach, has two notable holdovers from a run of back-to-back

region tournament championships. One of those Demonettes, senior guard Asha

Stegall, was the without-a-doubt floor leader of Friday’s 39-35

come-from-behind win.

And Jamaal Garman’s boys team doesn’t have Jalen Rountree,

Mario Guyton, Deion Whitaker and Derek Gibson as last season’s impact players.

Of the roughly 10 players he is using, only four were on the 2011-12 roster,

and only two of those saw significant court time.

“We’re very, very young,” said Garman after winning 57-56.

“We’re going through our growing pains right now. But (this) was a good victory

for our confidence.”

Sam Harris was in the played-but-didn’t-play-much category.

When he scored with 30 seconds left in Friday’s battle with Houston County,

Warner Robins led 57-56. It was only the second time Warner Robins led in the

fourth quarter, while the Bears enjoyed an advantage as big as six.

That score did not change even though most of the possession

time belonged to Houston County through timeouts, basketballs knocked out of

bounds and jump balls. But never did the Bears see a clean look at a potential

winning attempt.

“We want to play scrappy,” said Garman, basically describing

the chaos his defense created underneath the hoop. “We try to pride ourselves

in being scrappy, getting on the ground for balls and trying to out-hustle

people.

“We have a long way to go, but I see positive things

happening.”

While the Demons showed they can scrap and hustle, Garman

also saw some teamwork in half-court execution no fewer than five times

throughout the contest.

“We concentrated a lot on that (in practice),” he said.

“Working on our screens and being set when we get ready to screen and using our

screens, just being precise in what we’re doing. A lot of teams are going to

play us (man-to-man) because we’ve struggled with that.”

Juvuan Shine, a senior, is Garman’s only returning senior.

He scored 10 points Friday, and not just from his trademark long-range

accuracy. Carlos Scott was a reliable substitute last season, and the senior is

the first off the bench this season. He led the Demons with 11 points, all from

the first through third quarters.

“I gave them the example the other day of James Harden,”

said Garman. “How he would sit on the bench, see how the game was going, and go

right into the game and make plays. That’s what Carlos did.”

So who scored in the fourth? Harris, Shine and newcomer Josh

King. For the game, Harris tallied nine points and King seven. Garman is also

starting a freshman at forward, Marquez Callaway, who had eight points.

Houston’s Davon Akins led all scorers with 17 points, all

coming after the first period. Guard Andrew Graham battled foul trouble to

score 13 points. Taran Wooten scored nine and Jamarkus Williams seven.

Warner Robins actually had the biggest lead either team

enjoyed when it opened the game on a 7-0 run. King knocked in a 3-point try and

Harris took the basketball all the way in as these new-look Demons had the

Bears befuddled. That is, until Williams drove end to end for a three-point

play at 5:10.

Graham also hit a 3 to bring the game within the one-basket

range it would see most of the night. In one of those half-court sets, Callaway

cut inside the lane to take a baseline assist from sophomore Nathan Curtis.

Shine later connected from 3, and though he would miss towards the end of the

period, newcomer Leon Perry was there for the rebound and put-back.

That meant six of Garman’s players had at least one basket

in the first eight minutes.

Put-backs, though, worked to keep Houston close. Parris

Jester had one, and A.J. Burton, off the bench, used a power move on the

rebound to score, draw a foul and stop the clock at 0.1. With his foul shot,

the Bears were down two, 16-14.

Burton also blocked a shot in the quarter, as did Akins.

Jester made two steals.

Two more Demon newcomers, Stephone Raybon and Courtney

Johnson, worked block-to-block on an assisted basket to open the second

quarter. After not attempting a shot in the first, Akins went 3-for-his-first-3

shots for seven points. Scott was there to counter with four points inside, and

Curtis cut inside to take a feed from Shine.

This meant the Bears were unable to make any significant

runs, and even fell victim to an impressive transition block from a newcomer,

Donovan Brown. Houston, with 46 seconds, had a chance at the lead as Scott

cooled off and the Demons had some turnovers. But Curtis had a key block, and

Warner Robins stayed in front, though by one, 26-25 at the half.

Graham, having to sit most of the second with three fouls,

was determined to impact the third quarter and did so with five points in a 6-0

run. But as the Bears were ahead for the first time, 31-26, Curtis’ three-point

play on a slam started a 6-0 home team spurt.

Five times the lead changed in the quarter, big baskets

coming from Williams in penetration and Scott’s 3 off a press steal from Brown.

Wooten and Akins gave the Bears consecutive 3s, and Burton scored 2 from

Williams’ penetration in an 8-0 Houston run.

Warner Robins ended the period making five at the foul line,

but the Bears were up 44-42 with one quarter to play. With Akins’ trey and

Wooten’s great dribble penetration basket, the visitors were up by six, 52-46.

The score, though, went from 53-48 to 53-52 as King found

open room for a driving basket and Shine penetrated inside. At 1:27, Shine was

in more familiar ground, outside the arc, and put the Demons ahead 55-54.

Graham countered 10 seconds later, but the Bears would lose

Akins to fouls at the 43-second mark. Harris’ winner came after one lay-up try

rolled off the rim.

DEMONETTES

Stegall is one of three Warner Robins girls seniors, the

others being Jada Everett and Ce Ce Carroll. Destini Johnson played sparingly

for last year’s region champions as a sophomore, but none of Mobley’s other key

players in Friday’s victory had any experience for him prior to this season.

The tension of playing a major rival like Houston County,

with prospect center Justice Wright, for the first time showed as the

Demonettes registered one first-quarter point and didn’t hit a field goal until

5:04 of the second. Houston County was up by 10 at the half.

“(Stegall) is the floor leader,” said Mobley. “She doesn’t

panic, and we didn’t panic at the half. The main thing was we weren’t making

our shots. (In the second half) we were more patient and had better ball

movement than we’ve had all year. We’ve stood too much, not moved and not moved

without the ball (against the zone).

“We did a good job on (Wright), Everett and Kate Hill and

the guards doubling down.”

While the home team was at one for the first period, Houston

County only had six, four by Larissa Engram from an offensive board and

anticipation steal. The Lady Bears built up the walking violations, but Wright

demonstrated great hustle hitting the floor and forcing jump-ball whistles.

As Everett scored from the floor in the second, Engram and

Kiera Nicely sank treys for Houston to lead 12-5. Wright upped her block total

to three and steals to two. Warner Robins’ first foul didn’t come until 3:55,

and Brittany Greene made both attempts.

Down 16-6, Stegall woke up the Demonette faithful with

back-to-back field goals and a steal. Greene, however, stole the ball back, and

Wright had more hustle plays and assisted a jumper by Engram.

Desiree Gray, finally seeing some action after a shoulder

injury, made a steal and beat the buzzer on a 3 to give the visitors the

halftime lead of 21-11.

All half Hill tried to get a long-range shot to fall. At

5:40 of the third, she stuck her first 3 and followed it up by shooting over

Wright in the lane (23-16 H). As the Lady Bears were stuck on 23, freshman

forward Tesia Walker scored a third-chance basket at 3:08.

The Demonettes trailed by two when, at 2:42, Greene connected

from the top of the key. That would be it for Houston, and that ball movement

around the zone started to click. Stegall tied the game on a short jumper and

Carroll put Warner Robins ahead 29-26 going into the fourth.

Wright, combating both foul and ankle problems, blocked a

shot to begin the final eight minutes and got a kind bounce for a made jumper.

Her offensive rebound put the Lady Bears back in front, but Warner Robins

seized final control with an 8-0 run.

Johnson had three steals in the period and Stegall swiped

away in inbound pass.

Houston could not score from steals by Greene and Engram,

but down 37-30 Greene made a corner 3. The visitors also scored on the

offensive glass, and Warner Robins had its struggles at the foul line.

In the final minute, it was 38-35 and the Lady Bears missed

an open 3. Stegall stole another inbound and made just enough at the line to

ensure the victory. She had 15 points to lead all scorers. Greene and Wright

each had 10.

As for these new forwards, Mobley said Walker is averaging

eight points so far (she had five Friday) and is a smart player. Hill, he said,

is the biggest ‘offseason acquisition.’

“She can hit from the outside and inside,” said Mobley.

“She’s a passer and can handle the ball. I told her parents when I met them,

‘God is good. You moved from Virginia exactly when we needed you.’ If we had

her last year, we could have made a run for the state championship.”

It is a new time for the Demonettes without Kenyona

Armstrong, Diamond Hudson, Aaliyah Jones and Ashley Lee.

“The JV works hard and has been fairly successful,” said

Mobley about the rebuilding. “We worked hard during the summer. We’re getting

better every better. We’re going to enjoy being No. 1 in the sub-region until

January.”

Mobley also enjoyed seeing a victory Saturday in Macon,

36-26, against Westside High. Stegall had another 15-point outing with four

assists. Johnson nailed a key 3-pointer when Warner Robins led by four.

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