GREENVILLE, S.C. - Make no mistake, the Greenie Dome offers a homecourt advantage like no other.
But it hasn’t been all bad for Christ School varsity basketball to play five consecutive games on the road or neutral floors.
“We’re battle-tested, or at least we’re getting there,” Coach Josh Coley said.
Indeed, J.L. Mann looked early on Tuesday like it might have caught the Greenies (9-0) on an off night.
The Patriots (1-4) led 16-11 after the first quarter until Christ School got into the flow of the game. The second and third quarters were a different story altogether and Coach Coley was able to rest the bulk of his starters for the final eight minutes of a 79-64 win.
Scorers for the Greenies were: Keenan Wilkins '24 (18 points), Jamari Briggs '24 (16), Lleyton Thomas-Johnson '24 (nine), Emanuel Richards '23 (eight), Bryson Cokley '24 (seven), Cole Boyer '24 (seven), Matthew Pethel '23 (four), Anthony Robinson '23 (three), Jo Ahart '25 (three), Bruce White '24 (two), and Diego Rojas-Bowe '25 (two).
Bryson and Jo executed a textbook pick-and-roll on the final play of the second quarter. Jo’s 3-pointer just beat the buzzer and allowed the Greenies to lead 38-27 at the half. Christ School closed the second quarter with a 14-2 run.
The Greenies quickly increased their lead to 20 points in the second half before clearing the bench.
(J.L. Mann) was probably the most prepared team off the jump that we’ve seen all year,” Coach Coley said.
“They had scouted us, and their coaching staff did a tremendous job. They knew our stuff and it was great for us. We had to battle a little bit. I keep using the word ‘resolve,’ but the boys had it tonight. We fought, we pushed, and we held each other accountable. Not once did I see anybody’s head drop, no matter whether the shot went in or it didn’t, and that’s important. Games like this are important for some of the guys who don’t play a lot, to get some film, get some game reps, and see what they’re doing wrong. We’ve got depth, we’ve got numbers, but we’ve got to get better. And tonight was a chance for us to get better.”
The Greenies haven’t played at home since Nov. 18 and will host Spartanburg (S.C.) Day on Friday. Tip-off for the Varsity game is 6:30 p.m., following a JV game at 5 and Middle School game at 4.
“It’s going to be special,” Coach Coley said. “The guys are already running up to me and talking about it. It’s going to be exciting to just get back up on the mountain. We’re excited and I know the school is excited.”