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Gayman scintillating on Senior Night, Tigers clinch WCC crown with 66-44 defeat of KC Center
Friday night’s 66-44 rout of the Center High Yellowjackets delivered the Nevada Tigers basketball program its first West Central Conference championship.
The Senior Night victory at Wynn Gym improved the Tigers to 20-3 overall and 10-0 in WCC-play, while eliminating from contention the second-place, defending conference champion Yellowjackets.
Nevada looked strong early, with sophomore forward Dalton Gayman dropping in back-to-back buckets to put the Tigers on top 8-4. Gayman’s older brother Clay, the most heralded player in the history of the program, held a first quarter block party. Near the midpoint of the opening frame Clay Gayman swatted away three Yellowjacket shots on a single possession, setting the tone defensively.
Nevada’s terrific start was punctuated by a Dalton Gayman threaded pass to a cutting Matt Thompson along the right baseline for a lay-in and 12-4 Nevada advantage.
As the first quarter moved along, Yellowjacket fouls began to accumulate, with Nevada already in the bonus and Center senior forward Isaiah Washington saddled with three fouls. Leading 18-12 early in the second quarter, Clay Gayman was hit with his second foul, but remained in the game.
The second quarter was a parade to the charity stripe for the Tigers, with Nevada knocking down 13-of-17 from the line en route to a 33-17 advantage. Center, however, closed out the half on a quick 5-0 spurt, trimming the deficit to 33-22 at the break.
Nevada quickly expanded its lead in the second half, with Clay Gayman’s trey from the top of the key handing the Tigers a 39-24 lead less than two minutes into the third. Nevada stretched the lead to 18 following a Thompson inside bucket and a pair of Dalton Gayman free throws. With 1:34 remaining in the third Clay Gayman was whistled for his fourth foul on what appeared to be a clean block of Center’s Chris Goodwin.
With Nevada holding a 46-32 lead at the conclusion of the third, Gayman remained on the bench until the midpoint of the final frame. Matt Thompson provided two buckets and senior Braeden Hinton a pair of free throws during Gayman’s time on the bench, with the All-State forward re-entering the contest at the 4:13 mark, and Nevada leading 52-39. Gayman was then strategically subbed in-and-out for the remainder of the contest, as the Tigers paraded to the charity stripe to put the game on ice.
A combined 52 fouls were called; 34 on Center, and 18 on Nevada. The Tigers finished 39-of-49 from the line.
In his final appearance at Wynn Gym Clay Gayman recorded a triple-double, tallying 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 blocks, while sinking 17-of-20 from the charity stripe. In addition, Thompson and freshman point guard Logan Applegate chipped in 11 points apiece.
“I thought we handled Center’s full-court pressure pretty well throughout the game,” noted fourth-year Nevada head coach, Shaun Gray. “I’m proud of the fact that we broke it for some buckets, and were then able to get to the foul line.”
Added Gray: “Against a physical and aggressive team you’ve got to be strong with it, and you have to draw those fouls. Our guys did that early and often. And we also moved the basketball well. Matt, Logan, Dalton, and Clay all got in the scoring column in the first quarter. So I thought that balance offensively was good for us in the first quarter and really sparked us for the rest of the game.”
Gray marveled at Gayman’s defensive prowess.
“Clay is as good a rim protector as you’ll find in this area for high school basketball,” said Gray. “The pride he takes at the defensive end is special, and that’s been huge for us — and that’s a testament of the motor with which he plays, how hard he works to protect the rim for us.”
Continued Gray: “Our guys did as good a job as we’ve done all season switching defenses. We played some man, but switched a lot between a 2-3 and 3-2 zone, back-and-forth, back-and-forth, to try to keep them off-balance. And we also sprinkled in a 1-3-1 zone, so we played four different defenses. Our guys ability to handle the pressure and rebound were keys. And there was a lot of trash-talking and a lot of rough play, and I’m proud of the fact that our guys didn’t let that pull them down, that we took the high-road so-to-speak.”
Gray said Nevada’s three seniors — Gayman, Hinton, and Hunter Mason, were the backbone of Nevada’s first WCC crown. Mason, who is sidelined with a season-ending shoulder injury, took the court for tip-off, picked up a quick foul, and exited the Wynn Gym floor for the final time to thunderous applause.
“It was a packed house tonight,” said Gray. “We saw people looking for a seat and having to move on down the line to find another seat. We really appreciate all of the support, and our guys just love it — it means the world to them that so many people just come out to support them.”
Added Gray: “It was a special moment to get Hunter in the starting lineup one last time, he’s meant so much to our program.”
Gray said he”s elated that his club won its first conference championship.
“It’s an awesome feeling for our guys,” he said. “I’m so excited for our players, not just this year’s players but last year’s players. The guys that set this foundation, and who have done so much work. Last year’s team, what they did the second half of the season, winning 18 in a row, and the example they set, helped lay the foundation for what we’ve been able to do this season. And all of those guys over the past few years who have put in so much hard work — to see it pay off is a special thing for them.”
Up next
A West Central Conference road matchup with Smith Cotton H.S., Tuesday evening in Sedalia. See Wednesday's edition of the Daily Mail for all the latest on Nevada Tiger basketball