The Victoria West boys have recently made a name for themselves from 3-point range.
Most notably, junior guard Jeremiah Baldwin knocked down a 3-pointer with five seconds left to give the Warriors a 41-40 victory over Flour Bluff on Tuesday.
That’s just one of a trending 56 3-pointers for West (14-9, 5-2) over the past 10 games. Baldwin and fellow junior Zo Morgan had 16 and 18 shots from range, respectively, during that span.
The duo are known for their marksmanship ability.
“That was important to me because that’s my main role on this team,” Baldwin said. “We ran, kicked and made it all flow.”
In Tuesday’s win, West was 6 of 15 from 3-point range. Baldwin hit half of the Warriors’ six.
That ability has helped the Warriors win eight of their last 10 games as they prepare to travel to rival Crosstown East on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
“We just picked up the pace,” West coach Cody McDonald said. “For our players to play at pace, have confidence to shoot the ball and understand that their team and the coaches believe they can do it, it just gives energy to the game and the program.”
Morgan has been the hottest hand recently, watching a six-game 3-pointer streak.
The 5-foot-11 junior led the way with five of West’s eight 3-pointers in a 58-55 loss to the district-leading Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial.
During that six-game streak, Morgan’s confidence was bolstered by his teammates’ confidence in him.
“It’s the confidence that comes with my teammates and coaches that allows us to shoot,” Morgan said. “Knowing that they trust me to shoot the ball, it boosts my confidence.”
It was not so easy for Baldwin, however.
While he’s on a five-game streak with a 3-pointer scored, he had to struggle early on. Baldwin had to acclimatize to basketball after helping the West football team reach the playoffs.
He credits a warm-up drill that requires players to shoot from five different locations behind the 3-point line for his recent form.
“Every practice we start with Around the World and I get my chance,” Baldwin said. “After the football season, I had to really practice shooting and get an idea. With each training I improved a bit.
West’s goal is to pick up the pace both in attack and defense.
As they pick up the pace on offense, the Warriors want to maintain the confidence they have gained from being able to play upside down, which means throwing the ball wide from the paint to the open man behind the arc .
“It stretches the floor for you,” McDonald said. “Our team feeds when the kids hit. They see it and they get excited for each other, it brings energy to the gym. But it complements a lot of other things we do.
Sam is a sports reporter for the Victoria Advocate. You can reach him at sfowler@vicad.com or (361) 580-6576. You can follow him on Twitter @Fowlersports14.
