After the break for exams, Titans will return to the court Friday night at home against Glenn

By Jay Spivey
For the Clemmons Courier 

It was another week of mixed results last week for both the boys and girls basketball teams at West Forsyth.
The boys lost to Mount Tabor in a Central Piedmont 4-A game on Tuesday, which was the third loss this season against the Spartans, counting the first-round loss in the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic. However, West Forsyth rebounded to defeat Parkland Friday night, but in a makeup Saturday of a Frank Spencer consolation game that was postponed because of cold weather on Dec. 23, West Forsyth lost to Walkertown in a nonconference game.
As for the West Forsyth girls, it defeated Mount Tabor in a Central Piedmont 4-A game on Tuesday, avenging an earlier loss. Last Friday, West Forsyth was tripped up by Parkland.
In the boys game against Mount Tabor, Jacari Brim scored 17 points to lead West Forsyth, but Mount Tabor won 53-49 in overtime.
Mount Tabor (now 18-1, 9-0) outscored West Forsyth 10-6 in overtime to prevail.
“I thought we played very well,” Coach Marlon Brim said “We came out and did what we’re supposed — we didn’t shoot the ball well early, but I thought we played well enough to win. I think we deserved to win. We just didn’t close the deal like we should have.”
Cam White and A.J. Baskerville added 11 points apiece for the Titans.
“I thought we played much better,” Marlon Brim said. “We just had a couple turnovers and a couple missed shots. That was the difference in the game.

“I just think being in close game, we’re trying to figure out how to close games and how to finish close games,” Marlon Brim said. “And I think inexperience sometimes hurts us.”
Last Friday night, boys traveled to Parkland. Baskerville led West Forsyth with 27 points as West Forsyth won 75-53.
West Forsyth led 14-9 after the first quarter and 32-24 at halftime and then ran away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Parkland 32-15 to pull away.
“I thought we came out flat against Parkland,” Marlon Brim said. “I thought we played better in the second half, but in our first half I don’t think we played with enough energy or enough effort. So, we kind of sleepwalked the first half. We picked it up in the second half.”
At this point of the season, players know what Coach Brim wants out of them.
“I think they can read my body language and tell when I’m disappointed at halftime,” Marlon Brim said. “So, I just think trying to flip their own switch instead of me always trying to give them a speech at halftime or before a game is something they need to get better at.
“Sometimes they have to dig deep within themselves to find that switch because college coaches, high school coaches — whether we give great speeches or anything like that, if you’re a winner and a champion you’ve got to try to flip that switch on and find it within yourself to get to that point.”
The boys followed the Parkland win on Friday night and played at Walkertown on Saturday afternoon.
Bryce Baker scored 22 points and Jaden Tyson scored 19 to help Walkertown win 67-64.
Walkertown (8-9) led 19-14 after the first quarter and took a 39-30 lead at halftime.
“We were flat from the start and up four with two minutes to go, and we had a couple missed layups, and we had a couple uncostly fouls, turnovers,” Brim said. “ Jacari (Brim) fouled out, so just a couple things that dominoed that kind of trickled down and we ended up losing the lead.”
Baskerville led West Forsyth (10-8, 5-3) with 33 points, and Jacari Brim chipped in with 19.
“I think if you watch us play you know that Jacari and A.J. are our two go-to players,” Marlon Brim said. “Now, Cam (White) and the other guys give us points from that starting group and off the bench, but we’ve got about three or four guys that can score.”
The Wolfpack outscored the Titans 26-17 in the fourth quarter.
“I thought since it was the Walkertown game and it was a county game, I thought we would’ve come out (with) a little bit more energy, but playing on a Saturday in the middle of the day is kind of tough,” Marlon Brim said. “The second half was much better, but that’s what we mean by being consistent and being able to flip the switch.
“Those are the things we’ve got to get better at because every game is not going to be a Tuesday/Friday game. So, we’ve got to be able to find ways to play throughout the week.”
As for the West Forsyth girls, they avenged an earlier loss to Mount Tabor and won 51-31 last Tuesday.
Freshman Jeanna Baskerville, A.J.’s sister, led the Titans with 17 points on 8 of 12 shooting, and Marissa Vernon and Emma Staples added 8 points apiece.
Mount Tabor also lost to Reynolds last Friday to fall to 9-8 overall and 3-6 in the Central Piedmont 4-A.
Friday night, Parkland defeated visiting West Forsyth 61-54.
Jeanna Baskerville led the Titans (9-9, 3-5) with 17 points, Brooklynn King had 11, and Campbell McClain chipped in with 10.
After an exam break this week, both the West Forsyth boys and girls are scheduled to return on Friday to play host to Glenn in a Central Piedmont 4-A doubleheader.