{"id":351182,"date":"2025-12-16T06:54:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T06:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/351182\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T06:54:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T06:54:10","slug":"shade-wells-surpass-20-points-lead-central-mountain-boys-basketball-past-sjc-news-sports-jobs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/351182\/","title":{"rendered":"Shade, Wells surpass 20 points, lead Central Mountain boys basketball past SJC | News, Sports, Jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"

TIM WEIGHT\/For the Express
\nCentral Mountain’s Darius Shade (2) drives to the basketball during a boys basketball game against Saint Joseph’s Catholic on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, at Central Mountain. The Wildcats won 60-54.<\/p>\n

MILL HALL \u2013 One season after serving as a promising spark plug off the bench, former sixth man Darius Shade has relished his opportunity at a heightened role. The Central Mountain senior has averaged just under 20 points through four games and so far, none have been more notable than his most recent. <\/p>\n

Upon hitting his second three of the night against Saint Joseph\u2019s Catholic on Monday, the bottom of the net appeared wider to Shade, who caught fire on his way to a career-high, 28-point scoring outing. He hit seven threes, four coming within a crucial 24-4 run spanning the second and third quarters that gave the team the cushion it needed. <\/p>\n

\u201cI just thought to myself, keep shooting, shooting, and I kept making it,\u201d said Shade. \u201cI went into this just like a regular game. Just like every game, just play as a team and keep winning.\u201d <\/p>\n

Noah Wells made it two Wildcats to surpass 20, notching 22, as the pair combined for 50 points of the team\u2019s 60 points. And Blake Walker fore-fronted a defensive effort that saw the Wildcats secure 15 steals, all factors in a 60-54 win that got Central Mountain back to .500. <\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t pretty at times, as fouls and turnovers threatened to derail its chances early and whittled down its 14-point cushion late. But behind strong close efforts from Shade and Wells on the offensive end and heightened energy on defense, the Wildcats finished the job relatively seamlessly. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

TIM WEIGHT\/For the Express
\nCentral Mountain’s Noah Wells (5) takes a wide-open layup during a boys basketball game against Saint Joseph’s Catholic on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, at Central Mountain. The Wildcats won 60-54.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe issue in the very first game was just a lack of energy in the way we started. The last three games, we\u2019ve been able to come out with really good energy,\u201d said Central Mountain head coach Tyler Bardo when discussing the win. <\/p>\n

\u201cNow, we have to find a balance between having that really good energy and playing smarter basketball. We\u2019re playing a little bit emotional right now, which is a good thing; it\u2019s possible energy. It\u2019s just leading to poor decision making in the height of everything.\u201d <\/p>\n

After taking its second lead at the end of the first, those issues took centerstage, albeit briefly. Turnovers and fouls allowed the Wolfpack to pick up a multi-score lead with three minutes to go in the half, and the Wildcats spent much of that span with just one made field goal on the quarter. <\/p>\n

However, their defense kept them one surge away, as they forced nine turnovers through the quarter to combat their own. And eventually, those steals would translate into points. <\/p>\n

A pair of Shade free throws and Walker layup knotted it up at 24-24, and though two SJC free throws briefly gave the Wolfpack back the lead, it would be their last of the game. Shade hit a corner three off a Central Mountain steal soon after, and Wells would follow him up with a fast-break layup off his own steal, giving the Wildcats a 29-26 halftime lead. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

TIM WEIGHT\/For the Express
\nCentral Mountain’s Blake Walker takes an attempted layup during a boys basketball game against Saint Joseph’s Catholic on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, at Central Mountain. The Wildcats won 60-54.<\/p>\n

That energy, from Shade and Wells to the Wildcats\u2019 defensive pressure, would carry forward through much of the second half. <\/p>\n

In the first five-and-a-half minutes of the third, they\u2019d give up just two points while their own offense surged forward. They\u2019d open the quarter on an 11-2 run, extending their run from the three-minute mark of the second to 24-4 by the same mark of the third. That run was capped off by back-to-back threes from Shade that had Central Mountain\u2019s bench, student section and home crowd roaring. <\/p>\n

Even as Saint Joseph\u2019s Catholic put together a 10-0 run of its own to cut the gap to four, Shade\u2019s trigger remained steadfast. With the third quarter wrapping up, he\u2019d square up a few feet behind the three-point line and drill a trey at the buzzer that ultimately helped steady the ship. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt meant a lot because we weren\u2019t really high at that moment,\u201d said Shade on what that buzzer beater meant for momentum. \u201cWhen I hit that three, we were really high. We had momentum in the fourth, and that\u2019s where we needed it.\u201d <\/p>\n

From there, Central Mountain cut the mistakes down and kept scoring when necessary. The Wolfpack remained within striking distance, cutting their deficit down to two possessions on three possessions, but the Wildcats responded each time. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

TIM WEIGHT\/For the Express
\nCentral Mountain’s Darius Shade takes a three during a boys basketball game against Saint Joseph’s Catholic on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, at Central Mountain. The Wildcats won 60-54.<\/p>\n

Wells hit numerous key layups despite a congested paint, scoring eight of his 21 points through the fourth. Shade extended the team\u2019s late lead to nine twice, once with a layup of his own and the next on his seventh three of the night. And Walker\u2019s diving steal in the game\u2019s final minute effectively sealed the deal. <\/p>\n

On the night, six Wildcats scored, seven impacted the boards and eight logged at least one steal. Calen Hunter was a force under the rim, grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds, and Isah Dorman grabbed two crucial ones in the fourth quarter that also played a role in their closing surge. <\/p>\n

Central Mountain (2-2) returns to action with another challenge against Loyalsock (3-1) on Wednesday, where it\u2019ll look to put together its first win streak of the season. Alongside the continued development of its leaders, another trend worth keeping an eye on will be how it cuts down the turnovers, which it had 19 of on Monday. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a tough one against Loyalsock, who\u2019s under direction for the first time in four decades,\u201d said Bardo on the matchup. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to watch some film, prep for them tomorrow and come in and give a good, concerted effort.\u201d <\/p>\n

That game is set for 7:30 p.m. at Central Mountain. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

TIM WEIGHT\/For the Express
\nCentral Mountain’s Noah Wells (5) takes the ball downcourt during a boys basketball game against Saint Joseph’s Catholic on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, at Central Mountain. The Wildcats won 60-54.<\/p>\n

Central Mountain 60, Saint Joseph\u2019s Catholic 54 <\/p>\n

SAINT JOSEPH\u2019S CATHOLIC (54) <\/p>\n

Ethan Bowmen 5 5-6 18; Isaiah Crispin 9 0-0 23; Chase Luckovich 4 0-0 8; Zach Cadman 1 2-2 5. Totals 19 7-8 54. <\/p>\n

CENTRAL MOUNTAIN (60) <\/p>\n

Blake Walker 2 0-0 4; Isah Dorman 1 0-0 2; Darius Shade 9 3-4 28; Dane Hanna 0 0-2 0; Carson Corturiaux 1 0-0 2; Noah Wells 8 6-7 22; Calen Hunter 1 0-1 2. Totals 22 9-12 60. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

TIM WEIGHT\/For the Express
\nCentral Mountain’s Dane Hanna (3) takes a contested layup during a boys basketball game against Saint Joseph’s Catholic on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, at Central Mountain. The Wildcats won 60-54.<\/p>\n

Saint Joseph\u2019s 13 13 12 16 \u2013 54 <\/p>\n

Cent. Mountain 15 14 16 15 \u2013 60 <\/p>\n

Three-pointers: Saint Joseph\u2019s 9 (Crispin 5, Bowmen 3, Cadman 1); Central Mountain 7 (Darius Shade 7). <\/p>\n

Records: Saint Joseph\u2019s 2-4; Central Mountain 2-2.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

TIM WEIGHT\/For the Express
\nCentral Mountain’s Calen Hunter (11) passes it out during a boys basketball game against Saint Joseph’s Catholic on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, at Central Mountain. The Wildcats won 60-54.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

TIM WEIGHT\/For the Express
\nCentral Mountain’s Collin Confer (23) goes up for a contest layup during a boys basketball game against Saint Joseph’s Catholic on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, at Central Mountain. The Wildcats won 60-54.<\/p>\n

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