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Second-quarter run lifts Wharton to win

Jeff James scores 19 points as the Wildcats improve to 2-0 with a 68-51 victory over Tampa Bay Tech.

By FRANK PASTOR

© St. Petersburg Times, published November 30, 2000

TAMPA -- Jeff James knew he had four fouls.

The Wharton forward also figured he was inviting a fifth when he left the floor to block friend and Tampa Bay Tech forward Tiras Wade's dunk attempt with a little more than a minute remaining in the Wildcats' game against the Titans.

But fouling out was the least of James' concerns.

"(Wade) wanted to dunk over me," James said. "I just had to get there and block it because he likes to brag."

James swatted away the shot and picked up his fifth foul. But he didn't mind leaving the game early. He already had sewn up bragging rights for the evening.

James scored a team-high 19 points, including two rim-rattling dunks, to lead Wharton to a 68-51 victory over Tampa Bay Tech Wednesday at Wharton. With the victory, Wharton (2-0) remained unbeaten in its history against Tampa Bay Tech and took a step toward its goal of returning to the Western Conference final.

"It was a pretty sweet win," James said.

Tampa Bay Tech (0-2) led 22-21 with 3:45 remaining in the second quarter before Wharton closed the quarter with a 13-3 run. James sparked the run with a monstrous dunk, and Josh Rosado added six points as Wharton moved out to a nine-point halftime lead.

"I think everybody, the fans and the players, just feed off that kind of stuff," Wharton coach Tommy Tonelli said of the dunk.

Wharton extended its lead to 41-27 on James' three-point play with 5:22 to play in the third quarter.

Receiving the ball in the paint, he leaped, switched hands in midair and banked a left-handed shot off the glass while drawing a foul.

James banked in a similarly spectacular turnaround jump shot over Wade early in the fourth quarter.

But it was James' defensive work on his friend that caught his coach's attention.

After scoring 10 points in the first quarter, Ward was held to just four in the second and third quarters combined.

He scored seven of his game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, after the outcome had been determined.

"Tiras is an excellent player," Tonelli said. "But there's a certain way you have to play him and limit him. And Jeff did just what he had to do."

Rosado and Jonathan Scurry scored 12 points apiece for Wharton. Maurice Johnson added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Mike Stokes and Keith Brooks scored seven points for Tampa Bay Tech.

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