In New Breed Basketball Association league action Saturday night, the Chosen Ones turned a two-point halftime deficit into an 89-64, 25-point blowout of Speak the Word at the Educational Complex Gymnasium.
Trailing 38-35 at the half, the Chosen Ones got 18 points from James Sneed and 12 from Wilson Ferrance as they exploded for 54 second-half points while holding Speak the Word to just 26 points.
No one in the gym could have foreseen the Chosen Ones’ huge second half, coming after the first two quarters were played pretty evenly. However, led by a balanced scoring attack in the opening period, the Chosen Ones were able enjoy a five-point lead after one quarter at 23-18. Danny Kirby netted eight for Speak the Word in the first quarter.
The second quarter showcased a very good defensive effort by the Youthful Speak the Word squad, and they were able to outscore the Chosen Ones 20-12 in the period to head into the locker room with a three-point lead at 38-35.
Whatever the halftime speech by Coach Dean Heywood was it must have been something special, because his Chosen Ones players came out with a lot more intensity on both ends of the floor. Sneed exploded for10 points in the third quarter, which included two big three-pointers to lead his team to a 26-12 advantage in that period, and they led by seven at 61-54 heading into the fourth quarter. It took an eight-point effort in the period from Devonte Xavier to keep Speak the Word in the game.
The Chosen Ones would maintain their defensive and offensive intensity throughout the fourth quarter, which was bad news for Speak the Word. Ferrance and Sneed again led the way offensively with eight fourth-quarter points each as the Chosen Ones collectively dropped 28 on STW in the period. Defensively, it was a total team effort that allowed Speak the Word just 10 points in the closing quarter, and they went down in defeat 89-64.
Sneed led all scorers with a game-high 28 points for the Chosen Ones. He was ably supported by Ferrance with 17 points and nine boards, Quinton Guirty with 13, and Calvin Percival with 10. For Speak the Word, Kirby led three players in double figures with 16 points, Xavier netted 15 points with seven rebounds, and Nybo Rodgers scored 12.
