How fast can a high school boys' basketball team score 66 points? About 58 minutes, start to finish, halftime and trips to the free throw line included. That's how The Community School did it Tuesday night.
Coach Mike Wade's unbeaten Cutthroats reached 4-0 for the first time in school history, making quick work of the previously undefeated Twin Falls Christian Academy Warriors (2-1) by a 66-46 score at The Fish Tank in Sun Valley.
The run-and-gun contest had few fouls, two in the 19-minute first half. It rubber-stamped The Community School's 65.0 ppg offense average. It got everyone home relatively early.
Led by senior post Mac Whittington (20 points, 18 rebounds, 2 blocked shots), the Cutthroats extended their 35-24 halftime lead with a 10-2 run starting the third quarter and stretched the cushion to 28 points before relaxing in the fourth.
Whittington (22.0 ppg) didn't play at all in the fourth quarter when Wade's fast-starting team got a little sloppy with 14 turnovers. Wade said, "We've played three good games and three good quarters in this game. We're still working out some bugs but we're definitely getting there. All of our guys have been playing well."
Senior point guard Ian Ingram (2 steals, 4 assists) scored a career-best 13 points. Wade said, "Ian has been doing a great job running the offense and being more aggressive."
Co-captain Spencer Harris (15 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists) kept finding the open man and the senior also had a season-high scoring total, raising his average to 13.3 ppg.
All-around contributors were senior co-captain Max Harris (6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 assists), senior Travis Stone (8 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals, 4 assists) and junior Lucas Vorsteveld (4 points, 6 rebounds).
Sophomore Grant Friebos (14 points, 12 rebounds) led TFCA.
"Our posts have been playing well, looking for each other. As a team we've been staying out of foul trouble—and we have to," said Wade, a 25th-year coach who on Tuesday was facing another 25th-year coach, TFCA's Brent Walker.
The Community School enters Northside Conference action tonight when the Shoshone Indians invade The Fish Tank, followed by Dietrich Tuesday, Dec. 11, and Carey Friday, Dec. 14, to wrap up the pre-Christmas boys' cage schedule.
"I'm pleased so far, but now everything is moving up a level with the start of our league play," Wade said "We've got three good challenges coming up with Shoshone, Dietrich and Carey. Fortunately all of them are at home."
Community School senior Max Harris grabs a rebound in a game last week against the Hansen Huskies. Harris, a co-captain for the Cutthroats, scored six points Tuesday in a 66-46 Fish win over the Twin Falls Christian Academy Warriors. Photo by David N. Seelig
