STEENS — Defense is a source of confidence for Alec Vasquez.
It’s not that the Columbus Christian Academy junior doesn’t like to score. It’s just that Vasquez believes his team has plenty of other players who can fuel the offense, so his efforts on defense help balance things. But if the Rams need Vasquez to pitch in and contribute on offense, he is more than willing to step in and lend a hand.
On Saturday, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound small forward scored a season-high 20 points and had 11 rebounds to help the Columbus Christian boys basketball team beat Hebron Christian 63-42 on Saturday in the championship game of the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class 1A North Central tournament at Humphreys Academy in Belzoni.
For his efforts, Vasquez is The Dispatch’s Prep Player of the Week.
“I think everybody else feeds off defense,” Vasquez said. “If we play good defense, it helps us get everything going up tempo.”
KC Cunningham paced the Rams in scoring at just over 16 points per game in the three victories in the North Central tournament, while Vasquez averaged 15 and Koby Bailey averaged just over 12 ppg. RJ Deloach averaged 7.3 ppg. to give Columbus Christian four players on the all-tournament team.
Columbus Christian coach Greg Watkins said his team expects to have post players Jaborris Frazier and Kameron Mitchell back when it takes on the winner of tonight’s West Memphis Christian-UAC game at 5:15 p.m. Thursday in the Class A tournament at Rebul Academy in Learned. The top three teams from the tournament will advance to the overall state tournament.
Watkins said he was pleased to see the team regroup after losing to Hebron Christian 57-47 on Feb. 7 in the Class 1A, District 3 title game. He said the team played one of its worst games in the past two years but did a great job coming back together and not falling into the trap of allowing individual play to take over. He said Vasquez aided in that effort by playing a variety of roles and emerging as a bigger scorer and a consistent defender in the North Central tournament.
“He hasn’t been a big scorer all year,” Watkins said. “He has had games around 10 points or under, but he is a real good role player and finds guys when they are open. He saw a lot of opportunities and took advantage. He did a really good job on the offensive boards and the defensive boards, too, as did other players.
“I am really proud of the guys and Alec. He is a junior. He is eventually stepping into that senior leadership role. The kids respect him now as one of the leaders.”
Vasquez, who also is a wide receiver and a defensive back on the school’s football team, said the boys basketball team has remained strong thanks to a saying — “Many parts but one body” — Watkins has stressed the past two years. He said those words, which are taken from 1 Corinthians, epitomize the unselfish nature the Rams try to play with on the football field and on the basketball court.
Watkins said Columbus Christian had to tweak its offense without post players Frazier and Mitchell, so it moved Deloach to the free-throw line and used Vasquez on the baseline, where he was able to roam and use his quickness and athleticism to gain inside position and grab offensive rebounds and score on putbacks.
“I think we all play the same role and have the same amount of responsibility on the team, so everyone has to do their job for us to do good and for us to win,” Vasquez said. “I feel confident in my ability to play defense and help my teammates and everybody else be good on the court.”
Vasquez didn’t know Monday his 20-point effort was a season- or a career-high. He said those points weren’t his focus, though, considering he thought he did a “pretty good” job defending Hebron Christian’s Channing Tapley in the title game. He credited his teammates for helping him on a night he had more scoring opportunities than usual.
“Alec is a real competitor,” Watkins said. “He was playing a guy that probably outweighed him by about 40 pounds and he never gave ground. You like that determination, and I think that determination is one reason he did so well.”
Vasquez said the improvement of his teammates has enabled him to raise his game. He feels he has improved the most this season on defense, which is why he was pleased he could help Columbus Christian (25-5) avenge a loss to Hebron Christian in the District 3 title game and earn its third win in four tries against one of its biggest rivals.
“We played really good,” Vasquez said. “I think we all felt like we had something to prove after losing the district championship, and we proved it on Saturday night. I think we proved we are a good team and we are going to be tough to beat. We just have to execute and play defense. We are a good offensive team. If we play good defense and we execute, we will be good on Thursday.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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