By Richard Carrier, Contributing Writer
richwrites@netzero.net

The Powhatan boys basketball team opened their home schedule with another win over the Bluestone Barons Wednesday night, allowing them to get back on track after a brutal holiday tournament schedule. Once again, senior Shawn Minor was off the charts in every aspect of his floor game. The senior sharp shooter scored 31 points, almost at will, in a 59-43 game. Minor shot from deep, pulled up for jump shots inside the arch, drove the lane, and played smothering defense. The 5’8” two-guard crashed the boards for rebounds and got loose for two dunks.

But the Barons did not go down easily, opening with a long three by Maurice Hunter before the Indians pulled even on Daniel Prillaman’s free throw and Dion Berry’s run out, on an assist from Minor. At 4-7 Minor knotted it up with his first three and put the Indians ahead for the first time with a pull-up three the his next time down court. He followed that with a twisting drive at 12-9, before the Barons closed out the quarter on back-to-back drives by DeAndre Walton.

Minor opened the second stanza with his first dunk, on a feed from Ellis Moore, and a soft corner jumper to run the Indians’ lead to 17-13. Devante Saunders got two back for Bluestone, but the Barons never got closer. Minor scored two buckets on a drive and another one-handed dunk after his steal. He contributed to the Indians’ next score with a steal, leading to Phillip Barden’s bucket. Berry hit from outside at 25-18 and Bluestone retaliated with two quick scores off their press. Prillaman turned the ball over on his way to a layup, but Moore got those two points back with free throws to end the first half with Powhatan in front 27-22. Minor scored 17 first half points.

The teams traded buckets before Minor dropped in six straight, giving the Indians their biggest lead at 35-26. Berry drove the base line and Minor’s twisting reverse lay-up ran the lead out to 39-26 before Anore Gardner’s jumper cut three off that lead. Quinton Pamplin fired in a three for the Barons, but on the next inbounds Nathan Adams was left completely unguarded for an easy two. Brandon Allen fired in a 3- pointer to pull the Barons back to within six at 41-35.

Kyle Miller was inserted into the final quarter’s starting line up and the energy level went up for PHS. Another soft Minor 3 started the scoring. Bluestone’s Pamplin answered with a smooth jumper, and when Powhatan turned the ball over, he knocked down another three to pull the Barons to within four at 44-40. Minor’s drive slipped off the rim and Miller pulled down the rebound, drove hard to the rim to draw and make two free throws. Prillaman scored on an aggressive follow, Miller corralled the next rebound and fed Prillaman for an easy score. Powhatan was up by ten. Minor’s pull-up jumper added two more, Moore contributed a crushing block, Miller rebounded and, after an Indians’ turn over, stole and led Watson Fralin for a lay-up at 54-42. Bluestone’s Allen found the range for another three, but Minor answered with a three point play the hard way. In a scramble for the ball under the Powhatan basket, Minor rose up between four much taller defenders snatched the rebound and kept rising to the rim. He scored, drew the foul, dropped in the free throw, ran down court, stole and fed Adams for the final two points of the game.

Earlier in the season Coach Steve Washburn had predicted the Indians success would come through a slowed down offense, but the coach was not pleased with that pace for this particular contest. In order to be successful at a slower pace against the better teams, “we have to have more scoring balance,” he said. (Minor’s 31 was followed by Berry’s ten and Prillaman’s seven).

“We are still not the half-court offense we can be. We need more shots off of our half court offence and a better shot selection. We need more balance.”