Big first half helps Phillips beat Dunbar for first time in seven years

Dunbar and Phillips, two old Red-Central rivals, are both White Division teams now, but the rivalry has not died.

The Dunbar gym was packed Thursday, with bands and fans from both schools providing an ear-splitting backdrop for basketball. A referee finally had to tell the bands to stop playing late in the fourth quarter.

“We do this every year as a neighborhood thing,” Wildcats coach Lawrence Briggs said. “Phillips and Dunbar have been rivals since before our parents were around. It’s about fellowship. We do a pregame handshake between the players and coaches every year. We are real big on sportsmanship and celebrating the neighborhood atmosphere.”

Phillips, which hasn’t lost to a team in Chicago this season, played a brilliant first half before holding on to beat the Mightymen 56-49. The victory snapped the Wildcats’ seven-year losing streak against Dunbar.

Briggs and the team had a simple plan for the short bus ride back to Phillips: “We are going to party.”

The Wildcats (11-3, 6-0) dominated the first 12 minutes and led 28-9. Dunbar (9-6, 3-3) charged back and cut the lead to four on a bucket by sophomore Jerrell Edwards with 2:40 to play.

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Phillips responded with baskets from Davion Jordan and Keyon Joiner. Then, senior Jurel Savage made two big steals in the final minute to seal the win.

Joiner, a senior, led the Wildcats with 16 points and 13 rebounds. He was 6-for-9 shooting.

“[Joiner] is the force behind this team,” Briggs said. “He’s a four-year varsity player. He really matured this year and turned the corner after working on his game over the summer. He’s better mentally, and that is why we are where we are. It all goes through Keyon.”

Joiner said he hasn’t received any college interest yet. He’s 6-3, strong and athletic, so that will change eventually.

“I’ve been working hard for a while now,” Joiner said. “I tell myself to just keep pushing and I’ll make it.”

Savage added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Only one member of Phillips’ football team plays basketball, senior Ronald Pledger. He’s a cornerback who has signed with Western Michigan.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to play basketball this season, but in the end I thought it was important to do it,” Pledger said. “I’m just as big a part of the basketball team as I am the football team.”

Pledger finished with nine points and eight rebounds. The Wildcats outrebounded Dunbar 53-33.

“These kids are tough,” Briggs said. “They are all neighborhood kids, and they are going to lay it all out on the line. We talked about rebounding before the game. Kudos to Dunbar. That’s just a tough team. We got out on them early, but we knew they would make a run. Then we were mentally tough.”

Sophomore Jerrell Edwards led Dunbar with 19 points and five rebounds. Senior La’Ron Owens added eight points, six rebounds and five steals, and sophomore Isaiah Robinson had nine points.

“That was just too big of a hole to come back from,” Mightymen coach Dex Pierce said. “We had a rough start. There was just a lot of nervous energy. It was a big game for us, and the guys were nervous, shooting the ball over the rim.

“I knew we would make a comeback. We just fell a little short. I’m proud of the guys for fighting back like that.”

Both Dunbar and Phillips are in Class 2A and could make some noise in the playoffs. The Mightymen would likely have to beat Orr to advance out of the sectional and the Wildcats would eventually face Corliss.

“I haven’t quite looked at that yet,” Briggs said. “I’m a guy that likes to look at what is right in front of me. We are concentrating on conference right now and we will deal with that when we get to it.”