Rosewood falls to top-ranked Lejeune

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on March 1, 2004 1:55 PM

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JACKSONVILLE -- Rosewood's Kyle Bunn scored a season-high 21 points, including five three-pointers as the Eagles fell 62-47 in the Class 1-A N.C. High School Athletic Association sectional semfinals to Lejeune on Saturday evening.

Rosewood pulled to within three of the Devil Pups, ranked number one in the final ncihigh.com coaches/media poll, in the third period, but untimely turnovers against Lejeune's man-to-man pressure ultimately proved too much for the Eagles.

"We played well at times. We hung in there. We got it down to three points in the third quarter, but they played really good man-to-man defense and kept us from getting into too much of a rhythm," Rosewood coach Daniel Mitchell said.

Rosewood concluded its season at 8-15 overall after capping the regular season with three-straight wins in the final week.

Lejuene (22-1) started the game with a 20-point first and a 24-point fourth, but the Eagle defense proved stout in the second-period, yielding just six points. Still, Rosewood's offense countered with only eight points in the second as the Devilpups took a 26-18 lead into intermission.

"We had another slow start. I don't know if we were a little tight and a little nervous playing a 1-A ranked team, Mitchell said.

Eagle seniors Javon Williams, who finished with 11 points, Taylor Carr, Matt Hill and Michael Spriggs played in their final game for the purple and gold.

"I told the guys early on that we weren't going to let the win-loss record determine our success, they kept battling and working hard and we kept getting better and better," Mitchell said. "We played some tough teams early and it took us a while, but by the end of the year we turned into a pretty good team."

Rosewood 10 8 11 18 -- 47

Lejeune 20 6 12 24 -- 62

ROSEWOOD (8-15)

Dustin Overman 2, Javon Williams 11, Kyle Bunn 21, Taylor Carr 5, Kyle Grey 8.

LEJEUNE (22-1)

Joseph Harris 16, Mike McGrath 4, Shun McClain 9, Jason Alexander 8, Anthony Watkins 2, Derrick Martin 9, Tre'll Thomas 8.

Three-point baskets -- Rosewood 7 (Bunn 5, Carr, Williams) Lejeune 2 (McClain 2). Turnovers -- Rosewood 20, Lejeune 12. Total fouls -- Rosewood 26, Lejeune 17. Fouled out -- Overman, Bunn, Grey, McGrath. Technicals -- Harris.