Basketball Recap: Dylan Patel Key Part of a Team Effort in Wildcats Win

West Johnston won the last time they faced Smithfield-Selma and things went their way on Tuesday too. The West Johnston Wildcats were the clear victor by a 63-37 margin over the Smithfield-Selma Spartans. With that win, the Wildcats brought their scoring average up to 50.6 points per game.

West Johnston's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dylan Patel, who posted eight points. The dominant performance also gave Patel a new career-high in assists (four). Caden Hartman was another key player, as he made all 5 shots he took racking up 10 points and five rebounds.

West Johnston smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their offensive rebound total in three consecutive matches.

Despite the loss, Smithfield-Selma saw an underclassman step up: sophomore James Bell dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 boards. Those 11 rebounds set a new season-high mark for Bell. Another player making a difference was Noah Jeter, who earned five points.

West Johnston's win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 6-12. As for Smithfield-Selma, they are on an 11-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-14.

West Johnston didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 70-41 defeat against Hunt on the 5th. As for Smithfield-Selma, they will head out on the road to face off against South Johnston at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday.