Manchester Central boys basketball remains unbeaten with win over Nashua North (video)
NASHUA – The only thing Doc Wheeler wanted to see Tuesday night was his Manchester Central High School boys basketball team take another step toward getting better.
If that meant scoring more points than the Little Green had in a game this season and winning by almost 40, so be it.
Central scored on the inside in the first half and from the outside in the second half to roll past Nashua North 81-42 in a battle of Division I unbeaten teams.
Jaylen Leroy led the way with 33 points, nine of which came on 3-pointers, while Jon Makori added 28 points, including six 3-pointers. The Little Green (4-0) hit 11 3s as a team and took control of the game midway through the first quarter.
“We’ve not shot the ball well all year,” Wheeler said. “We for the first time last Friday shot 50 percent. It’s a process. You have to work that ball, you have to be patient and wait for good opportunities. Teaching this group what a good opportunity is has taken a month. We’re headed the right way.”
North (3-1) got 12 points from Ronnie Silva while Jordan Buckmire and Alonzo Linton each scored eight. The Titans were without leading scorer Nathan Hale, who was out with an illness, and coach Steve Lane, who had been hospitalized with an undisclosed ailment.
“We caught a break,” Wheeler said. “I wish Steve Lane a speedy recovery. He’s a great coach.
“I didn’t know (Hale was out) until we got here. It’s huge. You’re talking about the leading scorer in the state, it’s the guy they look for in their offense. If you’ve got no practices to get ready for that, that’s pretty significant.”
It looked that way for the Titans, as they fell behind 7-0 in the first two-plus minutes of the game. North was able to get back to three points, making 9-6 on a basket by Silva, but Central ended the first quarter on a 14-5 run.
“When you step on the floor, you have to be able to commit to rebounding and defense,” North assistant coach Michael Henderson said. “We did not do either. I think we have the capability of being a good team, but we’re going to have to come and play defense every night and we’re going to have to come and rebound every night. That takes attitude and effort. We didn’t have our best effort but Thursday (against Dover) we will.”
Central’s lead was 20 points at halftime and the Little Green wasted no time pushing it to 25 to start the third quarter.
After Central went up 46-21 on two free throws by Leroy, North went on a 9-2 run to get back within 18 points. But Makori hit a 3 and Leroy followed with a drive to the basket to stop the run and Central ended the quarter by outscoring the Titans 22-6.
“Third quarter we started getting hot and it felt like any shot would go in,” Makori said. “We’ve started getting more shots up in practice and getting better shots in games, more open shots.”
Central is back on the road on Friday when it heads to Pinkerton while North heads to Dover on Thursday.
