VERO BEACH – Wellington is on a mission right now.
It was evident in last night’s (Feb. 18) playoff game against Vero Beach, as the Palm Beach County boys basketball powerhouse did what was necessary to power past one of the Treasure Coast’s best teams in a 57-49 win.
How did it happen in this Class 7A-Region 3 quarterfinal matchup?
It all started with Wolverines senior shooting guard Christopher Walker, who led his team with 17 points. The Little Rock commit proved to be an unstoppable force on the court, as he also had a host of rebounds to keep the Indians at bay.
“We knew all the team’s plays,” the 6-foot-6 guard and McDonald’s All-American nominee said. “We knew their sets and player tendencies. We really just stopped everything they could do offensively. We had some droughts, but we played together and got buckets when we needed to.”
Wellington (12-2) was inspired by how its previous game ended, which was in the District 10-7A title game last Friday night (Feb. 12), a 68-67 loss to Forest Hill that was decided in the final seconds.
“We were looking to come back,” Walker said. “That’s all we wanted.”
Wellington head coach Matthew Colin spoke on how his team pulled off the nine-point road win over Vero Beach.
“Well I think we got after it defensively,” Colin said. “We started the game off by executing our offense and hitting our shots. And then our players started feeding out the defense. We were able to make some stops and go on runs.”
Colin touched on his program’s commitment to teamwork.
“They shared the ball,” Colin said. “Everybody was looking for each other. That’s what happens when you play team basketball. Everyone gets a piece, and you end up playing very well.”
Wellington overcame a late rally by Vero Beach (17-5 final record; District 9-7A champions), which trailed by double digits (33-22) to start the second half but tied the game up at 45-45 with 5:06 left in the fourth quarter.
Wellington finished the game on a 12-4 run.
“I think we came out a little show after halftime,” Colin said. “Mentally, we weren’t as focused as we were in the first half…We relaxed for a second. Unfortunately, it crept up in the third quarter, and we talked about how that couldn’t happen. We took a timeout and then we got reenergized. Credit to the boys for their response.”
Moving on to the next game ahead, Wellington will be playing another one on the road. This time, it will be against Dwyer (11-3) next Tuesday night (Feb. 23; 7 p.m. tip-off) in the 7A-Region 3 semifinals.
This Wellington-Dwyer matchup is essentially a rematch of their Feb. 4 clash. It resulted in a 50-45 comeback win for the Panthers and a tough loss for the then-unbeaten Wolverines.
“I think you’re going to see a very good game,” Colin said. “It’s two quality teams from Palm Beach County playing each other. They’re a very good team who is very well coached.”
Colin spoke on his team’s potential 7A State Final Four journey.
“As long as our players continue to do what they are supposed to do, buy in and play together like we’re asking them to do, I think we can make a great run in the playoffs,” Colin said. “But that’s the key. It’s continual buy-in, continual effort, and continual ability to play together. You do those things, and good things will happen to your team.”
SIDE NOTE: Fellow Wellington senior guard Jordan Johnson added 12 points in his team’s win over Vero Beach.
PHOTO CREDIT: Wellington Boys Basketball
