Sports
Chapman Leads Alexander to Sectional Championship
By: Joseph Payton
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After a 32-14 lead at halftime, Alexander senior Mason Chapman erased any chance of a River Valley comeback by nailing four 3-pointers in a row to open up the second half. His hot hand propelled Alexander to a 28-point lead, and gave the Spartans the cushion they needed to cruise to a 68-32 victory over the Raiders in the Division IV Sectional Semi-Final.
“It’s just awesome, my teammates were looking for me, trying to find me, and I just felt like I had the hot hand,” said Chapman. “So when I got it I was just ready to shoot.”
Chapman knocked down seven total 3-point field goals in the game, finishing with 23 points, two rebounds and one assist. Also adding to Alexander’s stellar night on the offensive end was Seth Richardson with 12 points.
The Spartans jumped out to a 15-0 lead early in the first quarter, setting the tone for the rest of the game. They forced the Raiders into 11 turnovers which led to easy layups in transition.
Their largest lead of the night came midway through the third quarter when Jared Weaver made a layup to give the Spartans a 52-18 lead. Alexander then began to empty the bench and the starters enjoyed most of the fourth quarter from the sideline.
Alexander coach Jim Kearns was very pleased with the way his team played in their first tournament game.
“It was pleasing. Part of the game plan was to come out and try to set the tempo and tone of the game right away,” said Kearns. “The kids really responded well. Our defense sets the tone and our offense feeds off of that.”
The victory over River Valley catapults the Spartans into the Sectional Championship at Jackson High School on Friday Feb. 19. Alexander will take on the 5th seeded Minford Falcons with a District Tournament berth on the line.