Five players score in double figures in Wesley Chapel's 91-70 victory against Pasco.
By GREG AUMAN
Published December 6, 2003
WESLEY CHAPEL - The coach is gone. All five starters graduated. So even though Wesley Chapel has been to consecutive final fours, there was curiosity Friday as to how the new lineup would look.
As Pasco found out: new coach, new starting five, but the same old solid, winning basketball.
The Wildcats showed depth and balanced scoring in handing the Pirates a 91-70 defeat and starting a new era on a promising note.
"They say that success breeds success, and these guys are used to winning," said first-year coach Doug Greseth, 46, who came to Wesley Chapel in July after four seasons at Jefferson. "This is the first job I've had where I haven't had to rebuild the program. This is a different situation, but it's a nice situation because you have kids who know how to win."
Junior guard Chase Bussey, who averaged 5.2 points as a reserve last season, scored 25 to lead the Wildcats, who never trailed and had five players score in double figures.
Pasco got all but nine of its points from Deran Burns (32), Johnny Peyton (14) and Darrell Davis (15) while nine players scored in the first half for the Wildcats (1-0), showcasing a depth they needed down the stretch. Four players had four fouls entering the fourth quarter, but Pasco (1-1) could not pare the deficit to fewer than eight points.
Burns' career-high 32 included three electrifying dunks, the last cutting the Wildcats' lead to 76-67 with 4:26 to play. The Pirates hit just one shot the rest of the way, and Wesley Chapel ended the game with a 12-0 run.
One Burns dunk that hurt the Pirates came during pregame warmups, drawing a technical foul. Wesley Chapel hit both free throws, got a basket from Mario Otkins then had a backcourt steal and a 3-pointer by Travis Lemaster, putting Pasco down 7-0 before it crossed midcourt.
The Pirates were scuttled by poor free-throw shooting. They went 8-for-18 in the first half and missed the front ends of three consecutive one-and-ones in the third, finishing at 44 percent from the line.
"If you aren't going to make free throws, you're never going to get back in it," coach Poncho Broner said.
Wesley Chapel showed depth and balance that would challenge last season's final four team. Lemaster, the Wildcats' sixth man last season, finished with 15 points, and Otkins scored 11 and Micah Scanga 10 off the bench. Mike Auman had 13 points and 10 rebounds despite fouling out with 5:38 to play.
Greseth, who made the playoffs three times at Jefferson, said he's encouraged by what he has seen from his new team and likes the level of competition in his new county.
"Our team and Pasco's team, we can hang with anybody in Hillsborough County. I know that right now," he said. "We always talk about the talent in Hillsborough, and there are some good teams there. But we'd do fine there."
