By Rich Flanagan
When Academy Park head coach Allen Brydges says his team likes to get “up and down” the floor and wants them to “score as quick as we can, then press,” he may be selling his team short.
Brydges’ Knights came into their Del-Val league contest against Penn Wood averaging 79.4 points per game, which has included two 90-point efforts and one 100-point outing. With a consistent combination of quick run-outs and forcing turnovers at half court, Academy Park cruised to an 80-69 victory over Penn Wood.
Brydges, whose team has scored 80 or more in four of the last five games, liked the complete game his team was able to muster.
“We didn’t actually have to press as much,” Brydges said. “We got them in the first half. We got a lead and then we kind of backed out a little bit. We still like to push the tempo with our defense and then just take good shots all night.”
The Knights had four players in score in double figures, lead by the dynamic backcourt of Nakim Stokes and Jawan Collins. Stokes posted a game-high 24 points to go along with two assists, four steals and a block while Collins scored 16, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out seven assists.