The Menlo School boys basketball team stormed out to a nine-point lead early in the first quarter, then pulled away in the third in a convincing 62-45 victory at Sacred Heart Prep in Tuesday's WBAL game.
The Knights sit alone atop the West Bay Athletic League with a 5-0 mark and are 8-5 overall. Menlo next plays at Harker (1-4) at 6:30 pm on Friday.
Junior Riley Woodson continued his torrid pace, scoring a game-high 26 points, including a pair of dunks, and grabbing 14 rebounds. Junior guard Joe Foley scored 16 points and had three steals. Thomas Brown, also a junior, had four assists, four deflections and added seven points while senior Hayden Pegley pitched in with three steals and five points.
The Gators' Tevin Panchal scored all 18 of his points in the first half, then the Knights held him in the second half.
SHP closed an eight-point first-quarter lead when Panchal made four baskets to pull within one. Menlo answered with Brown's pair of goals, Foley's layin and a two putbacks by Woodson, then Menlo held a 36-25 halftime lead.
It was the seventh double-double of the season for Woodson.
Menlo School 11 14 7 13 - 45
Sacred Heart Prep 19 17 14 12 - 62
M: Tevis 1 1-1 3, Pegley 2 1-2 5, Brown 2 2-2 7, Foley 6 4-4 16, Kastner 0 0-2 2, King 1 0-1 3, Gold 0 2-2 2, Woodson 10 6-9 26. Three-point goals: Brown, King. Total: 22 16-23 62. SHP: DeBrine 1 1-3 3, Longaker 0 0-2 0, Panchal 7 1-1 18, McWilliams 1 0-0 3, Myers 1 2-2 4, Stalder 5 2-5 13, Nichols 0 1-2 1, Scott 1 1-4 3. Three-point goals: Panchal 3, McWilliams, Stalder. Total: 16 8-19 45.
