Findlay Prep thumps Impact Academy, 121-79

By Rob Miech

Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009 | 7:38 p.m.

With star guard Cory Joseph in foul trouble for most of the first half, Findlay College Prep’s 14-point lead dwindled to 13 against Impact Academy with about four minutes to intermission.

Pilots coach Mike Peck called a timeout, had some pointed words for his players. They heard them, loud and clear, and closed out the half with an 8-2 run.

Then the Pilots devastated Impact by scoring the first 15 points of the second half and ran away with a 121-79 victory on Saturday at the Henderson International School.

“They responded,” Peck said of his late first-half charge.

Freshman guard Nigel Williams-Goss started that mini-surge with a layup on the right side, and senior power forward Godwin Okonji scored the rest of the points on a rebound tip, two free throws and a reverse flip-in in front of the rim.

Junior guard Nick Johnson, who scored 21 points in his Findlay debut Friday night (in a 137-95 season-opening win), had 27 points against Impact.

Fellow junior guard Jabari Brown added 23. Johnson and Brown made up for the lack of production by Joseph, who was limited in the second half by fouls, too, and ended with six points.

“Our perimeter game is clicking unbelievably well,” Peck said. “I’m happy with them.”

Okonji finished with 20, and senior power forward Tristan Thompson tallied 17.

The 15-0 run to open the second half was sparked by a Thompson jam from the right side, and Johnson followed with a dunk of his own.

Joseph missed a 3-pointer, Johnson grabbed the board and then fed Brown for a jumper on the right side. Brown followed that with a 3-point shot, and Thompson sliced in for a power layup.

Then Brown sailed in for an easy layin.

By the time Impact blinked, Brown sank a free throw to make it 81-50, and the rout was on.

Findlay plays Ernst Prep of Michigan on Wednesday at 7 p.m., Princeton Country Day of New Jersey on Friday at 7 p.m. and IMG Academy of Florida on Nov. 21 at 5 p.m.