July 31, 2008 — Guidance stormed into the second round of the Choices Basketball Association summer league playoffs Wednesday with a lopsided 82-64 whipping of the young but talented Legacy squad at the Central High gym.
This was definitely a statement game for the veteran Guidance squad, which had to gut out a hard-fought 78-75 win in the opening game of this best-of-three series on Monday without its star player, Calvert White. In fact, they trailed into the final minute of that one before coming out on top. This time, however, with their full complement of players on hand, Guidance completely dominated the youngsters. The only time Legacy was really in the game was in the first quarter, when they only trailed by one at the end of that period at 13-12.
Guidance came out hot in the second quarter and quickly blew the game wide open with a tenacious defense and explosive scoring. What was a one-point lead would swell to a 20-point lead as they outscored Legacy 32-13 in the quarter to go into the locker room leading 45-25.
The 20-point advantage would stay in place for most of the third quarter, but in the latter stages, Legacy did make a small run — with Guidance's top players on the bench — to get to within 12 points at 58-46 after three quarters. They outscored Guidance 21-13 in the period.
A 5-0 run topped by a three-pointer by Chris Floyd to open the fourth quarter and Legacy was within seven at 58-51. They would get no closer, however, as the Guidance starters quickly reentered the game and order was quickly restored. Richard Isles came on to explode for 10 of his 14 points in the final quarter to help squash any hopes of an upset by Legacy. The seven-point lead would balloon to as many as 23 points as Guidance began to have their way with the youngsters. Legacy could get no closer than 18 points the rest of the way, and they were sent packing until next summer 82-64.
Ryan Rawlins led five Guidance players in double figures with 15 points, Quenton "Q" Guirty and Luis Lopez both dropped in 14, and C. White and Akeem Thompson netted 13 and 10 points, respectively. For Legacy, Stephen O'Reilly led the way with 14 points, while teammates Kareem Newton and Floyd both finished with 10 points apiece.
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