Young has spent the bulk of the last two months traveling all over the country playing in high-profile national events. The Dolphins have lost more than they’ve won against the nation’s top teams and all the traveling has taken its toll.
That makes Monday’s 77-66 win over North Lawndale all the more impressive.
“Yeah we’re tired,” senior Anthony Mosley said. “When we were going through the losses the energy was kind of negative. But the losing helped build us. Traveling isn’t an excuse. That’s what Whitney Young does, it’s what the program is known for.”
The Phoenix led by 13 points late in the second half. Young (7-5, 4-0 Red-West) looked lethargic and uninterested. Everyone except for senior Joseph Toye, who scored 17 of his game-high 27 points in the first half.
“We were sluggish early,” Toye said. “I had to step up and be a leader.”
Toye kept the Dolphins hanging around and then a switch to full-court pressure defense in the second half made the difference. Young used a 16-2 second-half run to put the game away. North Lawndale (9-6, 2-2) committed 33 turnovers.
“Our guards have been good all year,” North Lawndale coach Lewis Thorpe said. “That isn’t like us.”
Mosley scored 16 and grabbed five rebounds for the Dolphins but his biggest contribution was on the defensive end with six steals.
“The pressure got to our guards and we didn’t get [Kenneth] Perkins the ball enough,” Thorpe said.
Perkins was a revelation. The 6-9 senior is thin, but fast and athletic. He finished with 14 points, 20 rebounds and six blocks.
Sophomore Carlos Hines added 16 points and four rebounds for the Phoenix. Fred Sims scored 14 but shot just 6-for-21 from the field.
