WPHS Tigers End the Season with a Ticket to the Playoffs
Maybe the Tigers annual road trip to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, cleared their heads and gave them a different outlook on this season. Or maybe it was their sense of urgency that the Section 1 Playoffs was slipping away and their season would end on February 11.
Nonetheless, regardless of the reason, the White Plains Men’s Basketball Team returned from Pennsylvania, after losing to Williamsport High School, 67-58, on Saturday, January 26, to win and secure a berth in the Section 1 Playoffs.
The Tigers were 2-11, when they returned from Williamsport and resembled a team that was desperate to make the playoffs. At practice, on Thursday, February 7, after winning and making the playoffs, the Tigers looked like a team that was ready to beat some teams in the Section 1 Playoffs.
“We are a confident group right now, back then we were just hoping to make the playoffs. Now we are looking to do something in the playoffs,” stated White Plains Head Coach Spencer Mayfield.
On Tuesday, January 29, the Tigers beat Scarsdale High School, 61-53. When they blew-out Ossining High School, 80-61, in the next game for their second straight win, the Tigers secured a Section 1 AA Playoff berth.
Tigers’ junior guard Chris Jordan went on a rampage against Ossining. Jordan scored 33 points off the bench. Jordan’s 33 points against Ossining, is the most points scored off the bench by a Tigers player since 2008. Also the 80 points scored by the Tigers is the most points scored by White Plains since 2008.
“My spark off the bench made the team more energetic, so in transition we became a fast paced team,” commented Jordan. Mayfield added, “Chris has always been an important part of this team. We are just glad to see him starting to come around and we need him to be more consistent.”
After the Ossining game, the Tigers were starting to feel their chemistry solidify and their energy ignite. The White Plains Tigers beat their counterparts the Mamaroneck High School Tigers, 55-38, in the Harry Jefferson Gym, on February 4. Then the Tigers rode the bus to Mamaroneck and beat the Tigers, 47-39, on February 6, to complete a four-game winning streak.
A major part of White Plains resurgence is the performance of junior guard Mike DeMello, who is averaging 16.8 points per game this season. During the Tigers four-game winning streak, DeMello averaged 21.7 points per game.
“Mike is a key figure and when players like Chris (Jordan) and Marshon (Morris) play well around him, it makes the game a lot easier for him. He can let things happen and come to him versus trying to do it all,” depicted Mayfield.
Tigers junior forward Rexler Noel is another player that Mayfield has credited as contributing to the Tigers success in the latter part of this season. “Rexler has been an inside-outside player, he played well against Scarsdale. Noel comes off the bench with quickness and athleticism and changes the look of the team,” evaluated Mayfield.
“I feel I am rebounding better and getting a lot of put-back baskets and playing good defense,” said Rexler. “I feel our team chemistry is coming together very well right now and we are getting it together at the right time,” emphasized Rexler.
