STUART — Woodward-Granger had the hot hand early Tuesday, outscoring host West Central Valley, 25-11, in the first quarter and then continually widening their advantage to post a 66-39 win in WCAC play.
The win followed an 81-75 non-conference win at Martensdale-St. Marys Monday and has given the Hawks a 2-0 start to the season. W-G defeated both teams, each by a 70-69 score, to open last season.
W-G had a 36-22 advantage over WCV Tuesday. An 18-3 third quarter opened a 54-25 gulf and the guests waltzed to victory from there.
Ten different players scored for W-G, with Bryce Achenbach and Kaya Bowlsby scoring 11 points each while J.P. Nixon added 10 points. Keith Braunschweig tallied nine points, Reese Jamison eight points and Alex Bice five, with Noah Hoyt and Joe Rhodes providing four points apiece and Pacey Moats and Brendan Bird two points apiece.
Achenbach and Hoyt had six rebounds apiece, with Jamison and Nixon grabbing five caroms each. Five assists from Achenbach led the team, with Bowlsby making four steals and Hoyt and Achenbach three each. The team finished with six blocked shots.
Evan Taylor’s seven points, all of which came at the foul line, led the Wildcats.
Monday’s game was close throughout, with the difference a 24-15 edge in the second quarter that gave W-G a 41-32 halftime edge. The Blue Devils closed the gap by two points to trail, 56-49, entering the final eight minutes. W-G had 25 fourth quarter points and M-SM 26, allowing the guests to slip off with the six-point win.
The hosts were whistled for 24 fouls, with W-G finishing 16-of-26 at the foul line while the M-SM was 6-of-10 on 13 Hawk fouls.
The Blue Devils fired away from outside, launching 28 3-pointers and landing 11, with the Hawks draining 5-of-8 treys.
Brady Gavin, a 6-7 senior, erupted for 33 points on 14-of-19 shooting for the hosts. He pulled down 18 rebounds and blocked three shots. Trey Baker and Carson Elbert each hit four 3-pointers, with both finishing with 14 points.
W-G countered with four players in double-digits, with Braunschweig scoring 18 points, Hoyt 16, Bowlsby 15 and Achenbach 11.
With the M-SM big guns accounting for 61 points and the top four W-G cagers 60, the difference came in greater depth for the Hawks. Jamison and Nixon had six points apiece, Moats four, Rhodes three and Matt Buch two.
Achenbach just missed a triple-double, finishing with 10 steals, nine assists and seven rebounds. Braunschweig had six boards and Nixon five, with Jamison and Bowlsby each providing three steals.
