State-ranked Yoemen trounce Groesbeck, 89-40
Chris Reid brought a high-flying Cameron Yoe team to Groesbeck, where he coached for four years from 2013-17.
The Yoeman were clicking on all cylinders Friday night and routed the homestanding Goats, 89-40, to improve their record to 5-1. They are ranked No. 21 in the state in this week’s Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) poll.
Yoe displayed a scrambling, pressure defense that forced turnovers and steals that led to easy transition baskets. When they set up in a half-court offense, the Yoemen were smooth and on-target. They hit 10 three-pointers in the game.
Everybody got into the act as all 12 players broke into the scoring column.
Yoe jumped out to a 23-13 lead after one quarter. The Yoemen erupted for 30 points in the second quarter and took a 53-26 lead into halftime. They expanded the margin to 72-33 after three quarters.
Groesbeck stayed with the visitors for the first half of the opening quarter. The teams were tied 9-9 when Pharrell Hemphill drained a three-pointer from the left baseline and Phalbian Bynaum stole the ball and raced in for a layup to put the Yoemen on top, 14-9.
After Groesbeck scored to get within 14-11, Yoe went on an 18-2 tear encompassing the final three minute of the first quarter and the first 90 seconds of the second stanza to expand the cushion to 32-13 with six and a half minutes left in the first half.
Bynaum ignited the run with five points. He muscled in an offensive rebound and then buried a 22-foot, three-pointer to begin the streak. Nolan Brashear laid the ball in after a steal to make it 21-11. After Groesbeck scored, Javoun Goldsby hit a layup with four ticks left on the first-quarter clock put Yoe back ahead by double figures, 23-13.
The Yoeman ran off nine unanswered points in the opening minute and a half of the second quarter.
Ke’vaughn Booze launched a three-pointer that ripped the cords to open the second-quarter scoring. Hemphill made one of two free throws. He missed the second one, but teammate _Kaleb Burks put in the offensive rebound. Goldsby popped in a three-pointer to cap the run and put Yoe on top, 32-13.
A 10-point run in the fourth quarter gave Yoe its largest lead at 50 points, 87-37, when Brashear made a layup with 2 minutes, 38 seconds remaining.
For the game, Yoe made 36 field goals, including 10 three-pointers.
Booze led three players in double figures with 16 points. He made seven field goals, including a pair of three-pointers. Bynaum netted 15 points. He had six field goals, including two three-pointers. Hemphill added 14 points, which included five field goals and two three-pointers.
Goldsby had nine points on four field goals, including a three-pointer. Point guard J.W. Hollas ran the offense and finished with eight points, including two three-pointers. Za’Korien Spikes scored seven points, including a three-pointer.
Burks scored five points. Brashear and Trenton Nix had four points each. Azi Haynes contributed three points. Ryan Muniz and Brent Wright had two points each to round out Yoe’s scoring.
After the game, a number of Groesbeck fans stopped to say hello to Reid and congratulate him on his team’s win.
The Yoemen moved to 6-1 with a tough 70-67 road win over Rosebud-Lott on Tuesday night. The Yoemen return to action Friday when they travel to Thorndale for a non-district game.