Slow start doesn’t stop Dover Senators from downing Caesar Rodney

By Andy Walter
Posted 1/15/22

DOVER — Eight minutes into Saturday’s game, the Dover High boys’ basketball team barely had anything to show for its efforts on the scoreboard.

Somehow, the Senators had …

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Slow start doesn’t stop Dover Senators from downing Caesar Rodney

Posted

DOVER — Eight minutes into Saturday’s game, the Dover High boys’ basketball team barely had anything to show for its efforts on the scoreboard.

Somehow, the Senators had managed to net just two first-quarter points against rival Caesar Rodney.

Luckily for Dover, that was not a sign of things to come. The Senators shook off the slow start and eventually pulled away to a 49-38 Henlopen North victory over the Riders.

Dover coach Stephen Wilson, whose squad won its sixth game in a row, couldn’t remember ever scoring that few points in a quarter.

“When we came in at halftime, we told them that the shots they were taking were good,” said Wilson. “There’s nothing we can do about it. We just were missing them. We came back and made them later on.”

With the Senators (6-0 North, 8-1 overall) still leading just 21-16 at halftime, Tyrone Tolson helped make sure Dover stayed in front. The sophomore ran off the first 10 points of the third quarter to quickly push the Senators’ advantage to 31-16.

Tolson finished the spree with back-to-back three-pointers. They ended up being the only 10 points he scored in the contest.

“When we came in here (at halftime), Coach was just telling us we’ve got to pick it up,” said Tolson. “He told me, ‘It’s going to come.’ I waited patiently. When we started off in the second half, the ball was moving good.

“I was finding my open shots and I was knocking them down.”

The Senators eventually led by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter while CR (3-3 North, 3-4 overall)) never got closer than 10 in the final 14 minutes.

Jaheim Harrell, who was slowed by three first-half fouls, finished with a team-high 13 points. Amir Hite joined Joyner in scoring 10 while Elijah Sessmons added eight points and made an impact on the backboards.

Senior Craig Williams tallied a game-high 15 points, including three three-pointers, for the Riders.

CR coach Frank Victory liked the way his team started the contest defensively. Dover made just one of its first 14 shots from the floor.

“What it tells me is my boys are able to obtain that level,” said Victory. “We’ve just got to work on maintaining it for four quarters.

“They hit some big threes that pushed the lead out and we didn’t have enough tonight to be able to respond to their run. I mean they’re a great basketball team. But I think that we can play with them if we’re doing the thing we’re capable of doing — like we saw in the first quarter.”

Saturday’s win capped off a busy week in which the Senators won three Henlopen North games in five days. They play three more North contests next week between Tuesday and Saturday.

“We’ve got a lot to work on but a win is a win,” said Wilson.

Free throws

Dover has now won two in a row over CR. The two teams meet again in Camden on Feb. 12 — at 11 a.m. — in the regular-season finale for the Senators. ... Dover’s 1972 squad, which reached the state finals, was honored at halftime. ... The Senators had a five-point first quarter in a game against Middletown this season but won that game, too. ... Only a relatively small crowd was permitted to attend Saturday’s game because of COVID restrictions.

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