The Wharton Wildcats swept its first pair of summer league games, defeating Blake 44-39 and Sickles 39-38.
In the first game against Blake, the Wildcats struggled around the basket early and fell into a quick hole at the end of the first, 12-6.
However, in the second quarter Wharton managed to cut into the deficit with a strong effort on the defensive glass. Jafar Mascoll and Xavier Owens both secured a handful of rebounds during the comeback effort.
After a back and forth physical third quarter, Wharton and Blake headed into the fourth all knotted up 29.
Wharton took a slim 2-point lead with 6:35 to play on a Mascoll jumper. Blake immediately responded on the ensuing possession but Xavier Owens' runner in the lane giving Wharton the 2-point lead again.
Jereth Kirkland's 3-pointer with 4:25 gave the Wildcats their second largest lead of the game, 38-33.
Blake refused to go away.
Powered by last seasons' Hillsborough County Player of the Year Andre Smith, Blake cut the Wildcat lead back to one on a pair of free throws.
With just under a minute to play, Blake again knocked down a free throw to tie it at 39.
Sir Patrick Reynold's 3-pointer broke the tie and put Wharton on top for good. Blake's three points shot hit front iron before running long out of bounds.
Wharton held on to beat the Yellow Jackets 44-39.
The second game consisted of the Wildcats squaring off against county-rival Sickles High School.
Sickles hit a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the game.
Later in the first, Owens stole the ball a bad pass and took it coast to coast to trim the Sickles lead to 3.
Wharton trailed Sickles until late in the second quarter when Chase Litton intercepted a half court pass and took it all the way to the rim before making the layup and drawing the foul.
At the end of the first half, Wharton held the 17-14 advantage.
Owens got what he wanted, when he wanted it all game long. The Gryphon's felt his presence in the paint all game long.
In the second half the Wildcats outside game was jump started when CJ McGill and Kirkland knocked down consecutive three pointers to give Wharton their biggest lead at nine points.
McGill's layup moments later pushed it to 11 with 6:45 to play in the third.
The Wildcats lead 32-24 entering the fourth.
Sickles quickly trimmed their deficit to four on their first two possessions of the fourth. An Owens two-for-one free throw and Patrick jumper pushed it back to eight with 6:25 to play. However, Sickles would go on a 8-0 run over the next 5:10 and tied the game at 36 with 1:15 to play.
After the timeout to slow the run, Litton found Reynolds with the back door pass giving Wharton to 2 point lead. Kirkland added a free throw and Sickles layup wasn't enough to tie the game up in the final seconds.
Wharton defeated Sickles 39-38 capping the nightly sweep of their two opponents.
Photos of tonight's games can be found
HERE.
