CORVETTE HOBBY 

Jalen is starting out this season on a high note

We are so proud of him and wishes his team a very successful season

Gillespie helps South River pull away from Patuxent

Updated December 8, 2014

Jalen Gillespie gave the South River boys basketball team a big lift with 15 first-half points in Monday's game with Patuxent. More importantly, though, were his nine points in the final minute of the third quarter that helped the Seahawks pull away for a 69-45 victory. After the Panthers cut a 22-point deficit to just 13, Gillespie came off the bench and hit a pair of 3-pointers in a 20-second span, then added a steal and a layup

10 seconds later to push the lead to 19. He added a free throw in the final seconds of the frame, then tipped a loose ball to Brett Bowman for a short jumper as time expired in the quarter to help the Seahawks break the game open.

Gillespie led all scorers with 28 points and added four rebounds, two assists and two steals. "They went on a run, and Coach always tells us that when teams go on a run we need to counter it with a run of our own," Gillespie said. "When he put me back

in I just looked for my shot and was able to hit a couple."

Gillespie's spurt late in the third helped the Seahawks re-gain control of a game they seemed to have in hand early. South River used an early 12-0 run to build a big lead in the first quarter and pushed the lead to as many 23 in the first half.

After Patuxent (0-3) cut the lead to 18 at the half, the Seahawks scored the first four points of the second half to build the lead back to 22. The Panthers then went on a 16-7 run over the next six minutes to get as close as 13 before Gillespie returned following a short rest.

"With the maturity of this team right now, we can counter runs, where last year we struggled when the other team made their run," South River coach Mike

Wasilenko said. "With Jalen, our team has all the confidence in the world in him. He knows it, and we're running things for him all the time. He was going to get hot sooner or later."

Bowman added 10 points—including a pair of first-half 3-pointers—and seven rebounds, while Willie Folks (three blocks) and Josh Lee each grabbed eight rebounds for South River, which fell to Patuxent by 14 points last year.

After a 46-42 loss to Broadneck to open the season on Friday, the Seahawks held a team in the 40's for the second straight game. They gave up 47 points or fewer in 12 games last season.

"This gives us a lot of confidence going forward," Wasilenko said. "One of the things we focus on every day is to make sure we're defending. We want to hold

teams in the 40's and give them one shot each time."

Patuxent (0-3) 5 12 17 11 - 45 South River (1-1) 14 21 22 12 - 69