City of Basketball Love

Jason Guarente (@JasonGuarente)
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For 22 dazzling seconds, Kyree Womack kept dribbling and defenders kept coming at him in waves. One mistake, one bad bounce and Chester’s season could have slipped away. 

That didn’t phase Womack. The sophomore used up precious time with what looked like a Harlem Globetrotters bit. He changed hands. He crossed over. He went through and around double teams. Whatever was needed to keep the clock running and the one-point lead secure.

“I didn’t feel any pressure,” Womack said. “I’m a point guard. I want to win.”

Womack credits a drill his mom assigned him for developing his handle. Shakia Harper sent her son, then 10 or 11, into the backyard with a shopping bag wrapped around the ball. Now that was hard. This, by comparison, was easy.

Those 22 seconds ended with Womack slashing to the basket and slipping a pass to Larenzo Jerkins for a layup. Chester escaped against Shippensburg 65-59 in the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals at Manheim Township Tuesday night.

The District 1 champions advanced to face District 12 champ Imhotep Charter in the semifinals Friday at a site and time to be announced.

The Clippers were at the end of a roller-coaster when the ball was placed in Womack’s hands. The 10-point deficit they faced in the first half had turned into an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter. That lead was almost gone after Jeremy Thomas’ basket made it 60-59 with 58 seconds left.

This is usually Womack’s moment to shine. Chester trusts him to avoid turnovers and make pressure free throws. Instead of fouling, Shippensburg chased. Womack dodged.

“He just wants to play,” Chester coach Keith Taylor said. “He doesn’t care when it’s his time. He doesn’t care when he gets in. When he comes in, he changes the game. All the herky jerky and all that. A lot of guys aren’t ready for it.”

Womack’s assist to Jerkins came with 36 seconds left. Not only had he erased much of the remaining time, he added to the lead. Chester scored the final five points. The Clippers, who weren’t ahead until the third quarter, could finally exhale.

Shippensburg (22-5), the District 3 runner-up, was ready from the opening tip. The Greyhounds raced on a 12-3 run and it looked like Anthony Smith might carry them the rest of the way. The 6-7, 250-pound center, a University of Minnesota football recruit, was too much for the Clippers inside.

Smith finished with 26 points and 18 rebounds. Chester threw a wave of defenders at the big man, including Jerkins, Isaiah Freeman, Jerry Young and Vince Coleman. That was enough to at least slow down Smith. He had nine points after halftime.

“They all played well,” Taylor said. “That’s what good teams do. One player goes down, it’s the next man up. That’s our motto.”

Chester (21-3) trailed by four points at halftime. That’s when Kevin Rucker took over.

Rucker made all four field goals, all three free throws and scored 13 points in the third quarter. He finished with a game-high 26. Once he gave the Clippers the lead, they never gave it back.

“I didn’t ever lose hope,” Rucker said. “I just had to turn it on. My team needed me today. I saw that. I turned on my killer instinct.”

Rucker was a difference maker. His 3-pointer in the first quarter snapped Shippensburg’s early 8-0 run. His 3-pointer to start the second half helped put Chester in front.

When the Clippers needed to score in a halfcourt set, and not by rattling the Greyhounds into turnovers, Rucker was the answer.

“That’s what he does,” Taylor said. “He’s coming. Next year’s gonna be scary. He’s gonna get a little stronger. It’s going to be a problem.”

Womack’s fingerprints were all over Chester’s comeback. The sixth man entered with his team already trailing by double digits.

Over a span of 5:38, Womack converted a 3-point play and dropped in 10 points. The 5-11 floor leader enjoys his role as a spark plug off the bench.

“I could see the game from off the floor,” Womack said. “Coming in I knew I could contribute to the team. I’ve got to score. I’ve got to bring the energy on defense.”

Then, when the stakes were the highest, Chester leaned on its point guard again. No one ever watched Womack run that drill his mom suggested. He was always alone. Out of sight in the backyard. The drill made the ball slippery. It taught him to use his fingertips.

If you can control the ball with a bag covering it, dribbling around opponents feels like no big deal.

“It’s crazy,” Rucker said. “Out of all my years, since third grade, I’ve never seen anybody take it away from him.”

That includes Shippensburg’s defenders. No matter how hard they tried.

By Quarter
Shippensburg    21  |  10  |  12  |  16  ||  59
Chester    11  |  16  |  22  |  16  ||  65

Scorers
Shippensburg: Anthony Smith 26, Jeremy Thomas 11, Jayden Statum 10, Graison Michajluk 6, Spencer Edey 3, Trae Kater 2, Erby Weller 1.

Chester: Kevin Rucker 26, Kyree Womack 14, Larenzo Jerkins 10, Qadir Lowrie 7, Breilynd White 7, Isaiah Freeman 1.