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| Carter Wright is enjoying his most complete season at Roanoke. Most importantly, he's helping the Maroons win. Photo courtesy Roanoke Athletics |
Carter Wright was in pain a year ago. A knee injury sidelined him for the first two games of last season. He also battled through a shoulder injury throughout the year.
Yet, he wasn't about to be reduced to a spectator role. He was determined to play.
"It was tough to deal with at times, but I only have so many game left in my career," Wright said. "I never questioned my decision. I can't stand sitting out. I wanted to play."
Wright is feeling much better this season from a health standpoint and Roanoke is a much better team than it was last year in terms of wins and losses.
The senior guard is averaging 11.3 points per game, nearly four more point than what he put up a season ago (7.6), and has helped the Maroons fashion an 18-4 overall record and an 11-3 mark in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
"I started out a little slow this year but after the New Year's tournament I started getting on a roll," Wright said. "I feel like I'm playing really well right now. But what matters most to me is that our team is winning. It doesn't matter who gets the stats as long as we win."
Roanoke won only 10 games last season. Wright said one of the big differences has been the chemistry of the team.
"Our camaraderie is just a lot better," Wright said. "We work well together as a team and we have different guys stepping up every night. Our balance has been a huge part of our success."
Indeed. The Maroons have five players averaging 11 or more points per outing, starting with Joey Miller, who is putting up 16.3 points per game. John Fitchett (14.3), John Caldwell (12.9) and Cameron Smith (11.0) for an offense that is cranking out nearly 100 points per game (95.2).
Wright has clearly been a big part of that success and takes a great deal of pride in being able to play for a team in his home state.
Wright, who played the first two years of his career at NCAA Division II Mars Hill, helped lead his high school team, Hidden Valley, to a state title as a senior.
"It's a blessing," Wright said. "My family is always in the stands cheering me on and I have friends that come to games, too. I enjoy being able to play close to home."
Wright started 14 games as a freshman. He missed 11 games due to injury but still averaged 11.3 points per game. He really came into his own as a sophomore, pouring in 16.3 points per outing as he led Mars Hill in scoring. He drilled a team-high 73 3-pointers as well.
But while he was successful in his first two seasons of college hoops, he admits it wasn't all easy for him.
"The speed of the game was definitely different compared to high school, but I think one of the biggest adjustments was getting used to not being the main guy like you were in high school. Everyone is good at this level. You have to work hard to earn your spot and have success."
Wright has certainly done that and has become a leader for a Roanoke team that has won four in a row and is only a game out of first place in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
"I try to lead by example by coming to practice ready to work each day," Wright said. "All of the seniors on this team do that, but we have also told the younger players that if you have something to say, go ahead and do it. We respect each other and value everyone's opinion."
But Roanoke didn't have much respect from outsiders when the season began. The Maroons were picked to finish near the bottom of the conference standings (10th out of 12 teams) when the preseason poll was released in October.
"I remember when we started practice we made a checklist of goals we wanted to accomplish. It's still hanging up," Wright said. "We felt like we had a special team but not many other people realized that. We knew we were better than the No. 10 team in the conference and we worked hard to prove that we were a better team."
It remains to be seen where things go from here but Wright is hopeful his team can stay on track for a league title and NCAA tournament berth. He also plans to enjoy the rest of the ride.
"It's been a fantastic season. I couldn't have asked for a better senior season," Wright said. "We just have to keep working hard and play the way we have all season and we'll be in a good position to compete in the postseason."
Lobos win division crown
Sul Ross State clinched the American Southwest Conference West Division title Saturday with a 94-91 win over Concordia.
The win was the sixth in a row for the Lobos, who improved to 15-8 overall and to 10-3 in the conference. They are the host team for the ASC tournament.
Rocky Feliciano took center stage in the victory, pouring in a career-high 32 points. Brock Anders and Caleb Thomasson finished with 14 points apiece.
It's been quite a turnaround for the Lobos, who won only five games last season while losing 20. This season didn't exactly begin with a lot of hope as the Lobos dropped their first four games. But they have been impressive since, losing only twice in 2016.
Feliciano has played a key role in the success, ranking second on the team in scoring (13.3) and shooting close to 50 percent (48.4) on the season.
Thomasson is the Lobos' leading scoring threat, averaging close to 14 points per outing (13.8) while also leading the team in rebounding (8.5).
Hoops Heaven
Heaven Walters came through with her second double-double of the season in Guilford's 73-57 win over Bridgewater Saturday. Walters scored 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Interestingly enough, Walters' first double-double of year also came against Bridgewater.
Walters is third on the team in scoring, averaging 8.0 points per outing, and she is grabbing 6.0 rebounds per game. She has steadily improved throughout her career. After averaging less than two points per game (1.8) as a freshman, she put up 6.0 points per outing a year ago.
Guilford has won its last two games and is tied with Lynchburg for first in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference with a 12-2 record. The Quakers are 18-3 overall.
Bishops keep win streak intact
North Carolina Wesleyan pushed its win streak to eight games Saturday with a 67-58 win over Ferrum in USA South Athletic Conference play.
The Bishops took advantage of a stellar performance by Adrian Moore, who came through with 19 points. Moore also proved to be tough on the defensive end of the floor as he came through with five steals in the win.
North Carolina Wesleyan improved to 17-6 overall and to 10-2 in the conference.
Moore is an integral part of the Bishops' offense, pouring in 13.2 points per game. He is shooting 53.1 percent from the floor and has been a defensive leader, racking up 47 steals, the best total on the team.
North Carolina Wesleyan dropped back-to-back games in the middle of January but hasn't lost since, scoring 72 or more seven times, including 100 or more twice.
Warriors get revenge
Back in January, Hendrix suffered a triple-overtime loss to Centre. The Warriors got their revenge Sunday, knocking off the Colonels 73-55 in Southern Athletic Association action.
With their second consecutive win, the Warriors are now 18-5 overall and 9-3 in the conference. They have five more wins than they did all of last season and are tied with Millsaps for second place in the SAA. The tie will be broken Friday when the two teams square off against the Majors on the road.
Hendrix can still finish in first in the conference as they will take on Birmingham-Southern to close out the regular season this weekend. The Panthers are 10-2 in league play.
Cait Kriesel-Bigler paved the way for the Warrior in their latest win, lighting up the scoreboard for 18 points.
Sara Dyslin nearly had a double-double in the win, scoring 13 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Madison Martin came close to a double-double as well as she came off the bench to score a season-high 11 points and tie her personal best in rebounds with nine.
Kriesel-Bigler and Dyslin are the top two scoring threats for the Warriors, averaging 17.2 and 16.3 points per game, respectively. Kriesel-Bigler has been particularly impressive from long range, drilling a team-high 63 3-pointers on the season.
