DeWitt N.Y. The fans may have been silent, but the Jamesville-DeWitt boys basketball team certainly made some noise in their 69-36 win over Cortland on Friday night.
The Red Rams’ win was headlined by a stellar performance from junior Preston Shumpert. He put up 18 points, with many strong finishes at the basket.
The game, dubbed “A Quiet Evening” by the J-DHS Flock, began in silence. The crowd didn’t cheer until the Rams scored their tenth point. When senior Payton Shumpert drained a three to bring J-D’s score to 11, the crowd exploded. The crowd got even louder a minute later, when sophomore Trey Autry got the ball in transition and threw down a one-handed dunk.
By the end of the first quarter, Jamesville-DeWitt had already built up a double-digit lead and was up 19-8.
Things only got worse for the Purple Tigers, who couldn’t contain the Rams in the paint. They switched from man-to-man to a 2-3 zone, but by halftime, their deficit had risen to 22 points.
J-D’s second quarter scoring barrage was highlighted by smooth passing and easy finishes. The Shumpert brothers showed off their on-court chemistry and awareness, with Payton being on the finishing end of a crisp alley-oop pass from Preston.
By the second half, all of Jamesville-DeWitt’s reserves were able to enter the game and contribute. Most notably, junior big man Nuwr’iyl Neal scored 6 points off the bench, including a smooth hook shot over a Cortland defender.
Their win puts them at a 2-1 record. Jamesville-DeWitt will look to add another win when they travel to Central Square on Tuesday, December 17th.
