Talented guard Mudiay answers Lions late run

 
 
 
 
Eying an upcoming rugged schedule, Coach Wise and the Yates Lions kicked off another season, opening against one of the nation’s top basketball teams in Dallas Prime Prep Academy.
Monday night power forward JC Washington’s strong effort coupled with Yates’ 12-0 run was erased by Mudiay’s 33 points, while leading the Prime Prep Spartans to its second straight defeat of the Lions, 85-79 on the first day of regular season basketball at the Campbell Center.
For the third time in four years the Lions have opened the season with a lost.  Two years ago Aaron and Andrew Harrison, now at Kentucky, led Fort Bend Travis to a 77-69 victory.
After trailing by as many as 22 points, The Lions roared back late in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Milton Jackson drained two free throws with 3:37 left to pull Yates within a point, 76-75. 
“I expected them to make a run at some point,” Spartans coach Ray Forsett said.  “We didn’t keep our patience in getting to the rim and finishing.  When you play Yates, you have to finish every possession. At any given time, two or three of their guys can get hot and their back in the game.”
Looking for redemption after last season’s 91-79 loss, Washington’s key block on the defensive boards led him hustling down to the opposite end of the court, as he spotted up from the top of the key, stroking a game-changing 3-pointer, which allowed Yates to grab its first lead of the game, 78-76 with 3:15 left.
“They made runs, we made a runs,” added Forsett. “Yates made a strong push and took the lead.  But when we came back, that showed our maturity and our toughness. That’s a sign of our team coming together.”
That was peak for the Lions which only lasted momentarily.
After tying the game, Emmanuel Mudiay, regarded as one of the top guards in the nation, banked home a shot off the glass while absorbing a foul.  That gave the Spartan’s the lead for keeps, 81-78 with 1:38 left.
“I was telling my team to calm down,” explained Mudiay who finished with 33 points and 12 boards.  “Don’t panic, that was their run. Coach told us they would make a run at some point. We were ready for it. We just kept our composure.”
Also in double figures for Prime Prep, Paul Washington with 14 points and Micah Seaborn finished with 13.
The 3,610 fans on hand got a look at the talented Mudiay, who was next to impossible to stop.
Not that Prime Prep (1-0), the nation’s No. 7 ranked team, according to Max Prep, needed any help, but Yates struggled from self inflicted wounds.  Poor free throw shooting, unable to block out on the defensive boards which led to second chance points at crucial times.
Early on, draped in black uniforms with red trimming, Prime Prep don the court calm and focused, as it easily fell into the flow of the game from the tipoff.
Yates guard Milton Jackson’s layup trimmed Prime Prep’s lead 5-4; however its ability to consistently score kept the Spartans out in front.
The Spartans led 20-15 after the first quarter and opened the second, pushing its lead, 24-15 following back-to-back baskets from Paul Washington, Jr. who scored on a breakaway dunk followed by Mudiay’s lay up.
Yates (0-1) gave its best effort of staying within striking range when Damion Lewis knocked down a midrange jumper to pull within six points, 43-37.  Before Spartan’s guard Micah Seaborn’s acrobatic play-ground move brought the fans to its feet.
Washington led the Lions with 28 points and 15 boards while power forward Melvin Swift tossed in 15 points and sophomore guard Lorenzo Phillips chipped in 10.
For nearly two minutes of the opening third period, the Lions held Prime Prep to two points.  During that short span, Lions guard Jackson was 1-of-6 from the free throw line as Yates trailed 47-42.  This left Coach Wise with a long stare of disbelieve.
“It’s the first game, so I expected a lot of mistakes,” said Yates coach Wise,  “mistakes that we probably want make later on in the season. A lot of that was missing free throws.”
Later in the quarter, Mudiay and Willie Hollins sparked a 6-0 run that watched the Spartans lead swell, 60-46 with 3:43 to go in the quarter.
Yates opened the fourth quarter down by 17 points before hitting its highlight moment. 
It was defense that carried the Lions late. On behalf of Washington’s six blocks combined with Yates seven fourth-quarters steals.