The Mathews High School boys’ basketball teams faced off against a pair of Northern Neck opponents, with both the varsity and JV Blue Devils falling to Lancaster and Washington and Lee.
Varsity
On Friday, the visiting Lancaster Red Devils took an early lead with Mathews trailing by 13 points at the end of the first quarter. As the game progressed, the Blue Devils improved on the defensive end, limiting Lancaster to fewer points each quarter. But in the end, Mathews couldn’t overcome the Red Devils’ athleticism, as well as their own large number of turnovers, as MHS lost, 40-68.
Jalen Thomas led Mathews in scoring, with 11 points. Elijah Willis (nine points), Tylon Forrest (six points), Christian Williams, Will Hutcheson and Damien Walters (three points each) and Michael Cooke (one point) rounded out the scoring.
Jarius Monroe led the team in assists with three, closely followed by Willis who had two. The team’s strong defense translated into steals, of which Jalen Matthews, Monroe and Caleb Thomas each had three. Mathews rebounded well, led by Jalen Matthews, who finished with a total of seven. Other notable rebounders were Caleb Thomas with four and Forrest with three.
On Tuesday, Mathews traveled to Montross to face Washington and Lee, falling to the Eagles, 64-59. W&L went on an 8-0 run in the first three minutes, but the Devils responded by forcing turnovers and taking advantage of the fast break to pull ahead. The surge was led by Jalen Matthews, who had a very strong 10-point quarter. By halftime, Mathews was ahead, 37-31. Fatigue began to set in as the game progressed, and the Eagles clawed their way back. With about four minutes left to play, W&L held a nine-point lead. The Blue Devils started to put on tough full-court pressure, and closed the gap quickly. With 1:30 remaining, Mathews trailed by only two points. However, costly turnovers in the final seconds gave the Eagles the upper hand.
Senior Jalen Thomas and freshman Caleb Thomas led in scoring with 18 points each. They were followed by Williams with 10; Forrest with 4; and Willis, Walters and Hutcheson each with three. The team’s leading rebounder was Caleb Thomas with 12. He was followed by Elijah Willis with seven, and Matthews with four. Thomas also led the team in assists, with five. Willis was not far behind, finishing with four and Williams with three.
JV Devils
The JV Devils didn’t fare any better than their varsity counterparts, losing to Lancaster by a 61-35 margin and Washington and Lee, 50-36.
Nasir Thomas led Mathews in scoring against Lancaster, ending the night with 15 points. He was followed by Landon Green with 11; Jackson Putt and Brandon Gandee each with three; Tyrese Brooks with two, and Antonio Smith with one. Green was the team leader for assists, with three. He was followed by Thomas with two.
On Tuesday, Mathews dominated the first half against W&L, taking a four-point lead into the locker room. The Eagles had the momentum in the second half, winning by 14 points.
Green led Mathews in points (10), steals (four) and rebounds (nine). Antonio Smith (nine points), Marc Smith (four), Thomas (three), Brooks, Putt, Gandee, Ja’Marri Henderson, and Jamir Forrest (two points each) provided the rest of the scoring. Putt, Thomas and Marc Smith had one steal apiece. Brooks, Marc Smith, and Gandee each had three rebounds. Putt and Green led the team in assists with two each.
The varsity and JV Devils were scheduled to host Rappahannock High School last night. On Monday, the Devils travel to Northumberland, with a home game on Tuesday night against King William.