SALISBURY- It’s a good thing the annual Governor’s Challenge holiday basketball tournament last week in Salisbury is just an exhibition event with no bearing on the standings because Stephen Decatur’s boys’ varsity basketball team looked nothing like the dominating team that entered the tournament.
The Seahawks entered the Governor’s Challenge a perfect 5-0 after breezing through the first part of their regular schedule and were getting mentions as one of the up and coming teams in the state. After two days at the Governor’s Challenge tournament in Salisbury last week, the Decatur boys came back down to earth quickly with a pair of blowout losses.
To be sure, the Seahawks got a tough draw in the Governor’s Challenge, playing in the DMVElite Showcase Bracket against some of the top teams in the region, but that comes with the territory after reaching the state Final Four for a couple of years in a row. Decatur drew St. George’s in its Governor’s Challenge opener and despite a solid start, the Seahawks were eventually worn down by a superior team.
Decatur trailed just 14-11 after one quarter, but St. George’s improved its lead to 26-17 at the half. By the end of the third quarter, the Seahawks trailed 46-24 after dreadful shooting throughout much of the second half. In the end, St. George’s routed Decatur, 62-29, in the opener for both teams. Kevon Voyles led Decatur with 10 points while Churchill Bounds added nine.
In its second game in the Governor’s Challenge the next day, the outcome was no better for the Seahawks against a tough Lake Taylor team. Decatur hung around in the game for a while and trailed just 26-20 early in the second, but Lake Taylor turned up the defense and created easy scoring opportunities down the other end and built its lead to 47-25 at the end of the first half.
By the end of the third quarter, the Seahawks trailed 77-33 and had nearly as many turnovers as points. Lake Taylor cruised to the 88-39 win, handing the Seahawks their second lopsided loss in as many days. Again, the good news is the holiday tournament does not count in the standings and the Seahawks can, and probably will, rebound as they head into the second part of the regular season.
