MILLIONAIRE ATHLETICS

MILLIONAIRE ATHLETICS

MILLIONAIRE ATHLETICS

Williamsport Area High School

Williamsport Area High School

Williamsport Area High School

Millionaire Athletics

Williamsport Area High School

Boys Varsity Basketball


Game Summaries & Headlines.

Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Academy Park HS School


1 year ago @ 9:11AM
Game Date
Jan 28, 2023
Score
MILLIONAIRES: 107.00
ACADEMY PARK HIGH SCHOOL: 72

Kline’s big game at the heart of Williamsport’s 107-point eruption as Millionaires pummel Academy Park

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's George Whaley drives and shoots against Academy Park in the first quarter.

Jakiha Kline spent many summer afternoons honing his football skills and it paid off as the Williamsport senior developed into an outstanding defensive end/wide receiver.

But Kline still found time for basketball. He often could be found in the Magic Dome working with coach Allen Taylor on his post moves each morning. Now, both the football and basketball teams have reaped the rewards as Kline continues becoming a formidable weapon on the court.

Kline played his best high school game Saturday afternoon and was at the heart of a frightening offensive display as Williamsport dismantled Academy Park, 107-72. The 107 points are the most by an area team in the 2000s and Kline scored a career-high 20 while adding 12 rebounds, dealing three assists, making three steals and blocking three shots.

“I feel a lot more confident than last year,” Kline said. “I feel more comfortable with my game.”

Kline was mostly a defensive specialist off the bench a year ago, helping Williamsport (11-4) reach a second straight District 2-4 Class AAAAAA championship. A starter now, the 6-foot-5 senior still does a lot of the dirty work and fills up the stat sheet. But he is turning more offensive as the year progresses and, with the playoffs fast approaching, it’s perfect timing.

Kline has reached double figures in three of his last five games and scored his 20 in just three quarters, producing at least six each quarter as Williamsport won its fourth straight. Everything that is making Kline a tough matchup was on display, too. He scored with good moves, off the dribble, off putbacks and in transition.

By halftime, Kline almost already had a double-double, collecting 14 points and eight rebounds as Williamsport built a 50-36 lead.

“He can turn and face and even take you off the dribble. He’s done that the last three games, taking defenders off the dribble,” Taylor said. “He had a nice one today and did it against Tyrone and Dieruff as well. If he continues to develop that skill set, hopefully his confidence continues to go up.”

Williamsport has some strong guards in players like George Whaley, Zach Lake and Jamaire Harden, among others. They all effectively facilitate the offense and will find Kline if he is open. Pairing Kline with Caleb Fausnaught provides Williamsport two strong post players and that means the inside-outside game is coming alive.

Oh, how it did Saturday. The Millionaires blitzed Academy Park all afternoon, becoming District 4ás team to reach 100 points this season despite not playing any starters in the fourth quarter. Williamsport scored at least 24 points in each quarter, never trailed and opened the game on a 12-0 run.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's George Whaley shoots over Academy Park's 4 with the assistance of team mate 4 in the second quarter.

Kline scored seven points, pulled down four rebounds and added two assists in the opening quarter as Williamsport took a 24-9 lead. His ability to attack the glass kept possessions alive, so even when Williamsport missed, he often was there to provide a second opportunity.

“I told him you have to think every ball that comes off the glass is yours. Just go get it,” Taylor said. “If he keeps doing that, he brings another dimension to our team.”

Williamsport showed off multiple dimensions against Academy Park and all were potent. The Millionaires played fantastic team basketball, six players scored at least nine points and all 12 players scored. The reserves went against Academy Park’s starters for much of the fourth quarter and still widened the lead at times and produced 23 points.

Everyone can be and everyone was a weapon Saturday. The Millionaires dealt a whopping 30 assists on their 40 field goals. They passed up good shots for even better ones and that played a huge role in Williamsport shooting a staggering 63 percent from the field.

“Our team as a whole plays really unselfish,” Kline said. “It gives everyone an opportunity to score that much. Everyone is committed to winning and that’s what makes us a good team.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's Thomas Takach looks for a shot around Academy Park in the first quarter.

“That’s what I keep trying to tell them it’s all about. Everybody has more fun; the bench is into it when you’re unselfish and playing for each other and looking for the next best shot,” Taylor said. “It’s nice when you see how many points you scored and know that 30 of those baskets were contributed to somebody else passing it to you, so that you can score. They played very unselfish. I’m very happy with that and we definitely have to continue to build on that.”

Whether starters or reserves it did not matter. Everyone made a big impact. Caden Holt scored 18 points, Whaley had 15 with six assists and five steals and Thomas Takach tallied 13 points off the bench. Chris White also was strong off the bench and scored nine points, as did Zach Lake. Kyreek Bradshaw added eight in the fourth quarter and Landon Allmaras’s free throws with 2:39 remaining gave Williamsport 100 points.

Williamsport led by 24 less than three minutes into the second quarter, but Academy Park rallied and cut it to 14 at halftime. The Millionaires have built several big first-half leads this season only to let opponents back in the game. Saturday, they learned from past mistakes and quickly landed the knockout blow in the third quarter.

Lake dealt four of his game-high seven assists in the opening four minutes of the third quarter as Williamsport went up, 66-40. After Academy Park was hit with one of its five technical fouls, Williamsport inflicted the mercy rule with 3:29 remaining in the quarter, opening it with a blistering 22-4 run.

“That was the goal,” Kline said. “Coach emphasized at halftime that we had to step on their necks and not let them get back into the game.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Williamsport's 1 shoots around Academy Park's 10 in the second quarter.

“That’s exactly what we needed to do, just get out there and get after it,” Taylor said. “We did a much better job in the second half playing for each other.”

That is the goal moving forward, too. The Millionaires close with seven tough games, including Thursday and Saturday against District 4 Class AAAA-leading Shamokin and rival Loyalsock. They are atop the District 2-4 standings and playing well down the stretch would keep them there, while earning a bye into the semifinals.

“We have to make sure we’re mentally locked in and focused and engaged from the jump to the end,” Taylor said. “You’re opponent shouldn’t dictate your effort. You prepare and give the same effort, regardless. As long as we do that, we’ll be in a position to win more games.”

ACADEMY PARK (72)

Quadir Smith 3 1-1 7, Anthony Blue 2 0-0 4, Kyle Jones 4 4-4 13, Hakim Suplee-Reid 2 1-4 5, Jamir Anderson 9 11-15 34, Bangelee Bility 1 1-2 3, Nasir Miller 1 1-2 4, James Lawson 1 0-0 3. Totals 23 19-28 72.

WILLIAMSPORT (107)

George Whaley 6 2-4 15, Caleb Fausnaught 1 0-0 2, Caden Holt 7 2-4 18, Zach Lake 4 1-2 9, Jakiha Kline 8 4-7 20, Thomas Takach 6 1-2 13, Chris White 3 2-3 9, Makhi Johnson 3 0-0 6, Landon Allmaras 0 5-6 5, Kyreek Bradshaw 2 4-4 8, Naamir Lowe 1 0-1 2. Totals 40 22-33 107.

Academy Park 9 27 12 24-72

Williamsport 24 26 34 23-107

3-pointers: Academy Park 8 (Anderson 5, Jones, Miller, Lawson); Williamsport 4 (Holt 2, Whaley, White).

Records: Williamsport 11-4.

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