HS Boys Basketball: College Park Surges and Earns Valuable Win Against Willis

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- College Park defended their home floor against the scrappy Willis Wildkats in a 65-53 showcase of strengths on Tuesday night.

These squads battled in contentious matchups during the 2023-24 season. The close-knit scoring between the two set the stage for another intense game during the early stretch of district play.

In an interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, College Park Head Coach Clifton McNeely spoke on his team’s assessment of Willis before tipoff.

“We knew that they’re a very talented team that is athletic with a bunch of veteran faces,” said McNeely. “When they score, they get into a rhythm, and that sets up their pressure defense. We knew we had to run them off the three-point line and force them to beat us to the basket.”

Both teams opened the first quarter with defensive play that kept points to a minimum. Each made basket was crucial, but neither team scored more than two consecutive shots on any first-quarter run.

Willis favored a trapping press that forced multiple Cavalier turnovers, but College Park's baseline-to-baseline running kept the Wildkat fastbreaks from breaking the scoring open.

College Park’s turnovers did keep their offense from scoring, but the slowly paced Wildkat offense ate time attempting to find cracks in the Cav's defense. These methodical approaches typically resulted in Willid leaving empty-handed, keeping the scoring even.

The stingy defense and multiple misses from outside the arch left the teams trading ones and twos for most of the opening eight minutes. The occasional made three provided light sparks, but they were often snuffed out before traction could be made.

Three lead changes and a tie resulted in an intense but low-scoring first quarter, which left College Park ahead 12-10 heading into the second quarter.

“I was very disappointed by our performance,” said McNeely. “Our game plan was to get downhill and not to settle for jump shots. We were just settling for shooting instead of getting to the rim and the free-throw line, that’s really what our offense is predicated on.”

After refocusing on their usual tendencies, the offenses started to find their respective strides, with College Park maintaining a slight edge on the scoreboard.

Consecutive stops on defense for the Cavs spurred runs into the open floor for easy makes. The layups from College Park’s fast guards tired the Wildkat defenders so much that substitutions had to be made to keep fresh legs on the floor.

Willis’ bench players did settle in quickly, but College Park’s relentless pressure continued to force turnovers.

An eventual 9-0 run in College Park’s favor created a sizable distance on the scoreboard, but the fight from the Wildkats kept the game from becoming a runaway.

Willis’ three-point shooting was enough to wipe away the almost double-digit Cavalier lead and passes inside near the key set up Wildkat shooters for short-distance buckets to ratchet up the pressure before the half.

The near comeback from Willis almost forced a tie heading into the locker rooms, but a College Park three in the closing moments kept the Cavs ahead by two possessions. The 29-25 lead was fragile but significant in the face of limited scoring.

The surge that pushed College Park during the second quarter resumed to start the second half. A flurry of makes from near the key and a three-pointer put the Cavs up by their largest lead of the night.

College Park’s 15-1 run through three minutes pushed the team ahead by as many as 13. Willis’ lackluster third-quarter offense in response meant the Wildkats were in a double-digit hole for most of the third quarter.

“We were much more assertive and aggressive when it came to getting to the basket,” said McNeely. “The big difference between the first and second halves was deciding to do it their way during the first before listening to us in the second.”

On top of College Park’s run, continued turnovers from the Wildkats severely capped the team’s momentum before hitting the end of the third.

A desperate push from Willis needed to come in the final eight minutes of play. The Cavalier lead was not insurmountable, but if the offensive issues continued to plague Willis’ push, their hopes of completing the comeback would be short-lived.

“It was important that we had a lot of guys who could play and do their roles how they’re supposed to,” said McNeely. “When we get that sort of help late in games, it keeps things in control. When we’re not, we’re not as good.”

Revived shooting from both teams ignited an explosive barrage that highlighted the do-or-die nature of the fourth quarter.

Willis found success through their head-long plows into the paint. These possessions efficiently scored points while eating as few precious seconds as possible. Both qualities were important, but College Park’s rampant transition offense continued to catch the Wildkat defenders flatfooted.

Breaks in the open floor from Ian Inman and Aiden Buckmon put the electrifying scorers in prime positions to keep building on the late cushion. Buckmon’s 11 points in the final eight minutes were enough to almost singlehandedly tie Willis’ entire scoring for the fourth quarter.

No matter the pushes and makes from the Wildkats, their effort was not significant enough to overcome the Cavalier lead in the game’s final moments. The final buzzer signaled the end of a hard-fought game that resulted in a 65-53 win for College Park.

The valuable win over a tough opponent keeps the Cavs near the top of the district standings, but a balance of focus before the Holiday Break will keep the attention of the players on and off the floor.

“This big thing the boys have to focus on is taking care of their academics,” said McNeely. “This stretch is going to be about finding a good balance of resting, practicing, and hitting the books. We’ve got three games before the holiday break, but we just want them to get better in as many ways as possible.”

The next test for College Park will be in an out-of-district matchup against Royal on Friday, while the Wildkats will get set to host Concordia Lutheran.

Photos