CAMDEN – With a No. 3 state ranking and undefeated record in the Henlopen North, the Smyrna boys basketball team goes into every gym with a target on its back.
The Eagles skillfully repelled a hot team’s best effort Friday night, staying calm after Caesar Rodney got within four points and pulling away for a 60-47 win on the Riders’ home floor.
“They don’t mind being a target,” Smyrna coach Andrew Mears said of his team. “They like to play with the hype. They like the attention. As a coach, you always want to be sneaking up from behind, you want to be an underdog. But these guys kind of like that attention.”
No. 8 CR (10-5, 6-3 Henlopen North) had won seven straight before falling at St. Mark’s 57-55 in overtime on Tuesday. The Riders were blown out 66-31 at Smyrna on Dec. 15, but both teams thought it would be much closer this time.
It was. The Eagles led by as many as nine late in the third quarter, but CR jumped right back in it. Two free throws by Jaquan Hooks and a reverse layup by Joseph Williams pulled the Riders within 38-34 with 7:12 remaining.
That’s when Anthony Watson shot Smyrna back into a comfortable lead. The senior’s second 3-pointer of the night made it 43-35. Shaft Clark answered with a 3 for CR, but Watson bombed another 3 from the right wing and Zubi Nwankwo scored on a tip-in for a 48-38 cushion with 4:47 to play.
“That’s just practice, working on my shot every day,” Watson said. “I feel very confident in my shot. When I let them go, those shots were really good.”
Watson scored 11 points on just five shots, including 3 of 3 behind the arc.
“This whole year, he’s been very efficient,” Mears said. “When he’s patient, he can be a very deadly weapon. We know what we’ve got in Anthony.”
Davione Robinson’s layup got the Riders within 48-40, but CR could get no closer.
“When we made our run, we got a couple of stops,” Riders coach Freeman Williams said. “But then there were a couple of key turnovers where they were able to capitalize on them.”
Smyrna (13-2, 9-0) hit 12 of 15 free throws over the final 3:38.
“I loved our composure tonight,” Mears said. “That was a good test. We knew what to expect from a CR team every time we battle with them, especially here. Credit to our guys to keep our composure, play our brand of basketball and ultimately, that’s kind of what stretched things at the end.”
Caleb Matthews led the Eagles with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Jaymeir Garnett added 15 points and nine rebounds, and Nwankwo chipped in six points and 12 boards.
“Caleb is an All-State player,” Mears said. “There is no doubt in my mind that that guy is at a very high level. He’s such a good shooter, and that’s what people know him for, but it’s more than that. It’s everything, getting the ball up the floor, finding open people, knocking down free throws at the end.”
Hooks had 15 points and seven rebounds, Robinson scored 11 and Clark added eight points and seven boards for CR. But Smyrna found a way survive another team’s best shot.
“I think it’s helping us, because we realize it’s every night,” Matthews said. “You can’t take any nights off.”
Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ.
Caesar Rodney’s Davione Robinson runs into traffic under the basket as he drives in the first half of Smyrna’s 60-47 win at Caesar Rodney Friday.
Caesar Rodney’s Jaquan Hooks (left) tries to get the ball from Smyrna’s Dymer’e Richardson in the second half of Smyrna’s 60-47 at Caesar Rodney Friday.
Caesar Rodney’s Joe Williams (left) and Smyrna’s Jaymeir Garnett collide in the second quarter of Smyrna’s 60-47 win at Caesar Rodney Friday.