Charleston Rogers fuels late rally to push Sexton boys basketball past Charlotte
LANSING — Charleston Rogers viewed it as playing his role in the past when he was reluctant to fire shots from outside.
But that didn't sit well with Sexton boys basketball coach Dale Beard.
There were times when Beard had to remove Rogers from games for not shooting.
That hasn't been the case this season.
Rogers, a senior guard, has showcased his shooting abilities the past two months for the Big Reds, helping Sexton remain in a strong position in the CAAC White.
Rogers had 10 of his 11 points in the second half and hit a pair of 3-pointers to fuel a late run as the Big Reds rallied to a 49-46 win over Charlotte on FrIday.
"Charleston — we count on him as our 3-point guy," Beard said. "We played Portland up in Portland and he came out and hit four 3s right off the top. I tell him to shoot the ball. He's got a good shot and he's been doing it. Things have been working out for us. I'm hoping we can continue to get his confidence up and have him keep rolling like he is."
Rogers' hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:39 to play. His back-to-back 3s kicked off an 8-0 run Sexton (4-4, 3-1 CAAC White) went on over the final 4:30 to close the contest. Dai'John Chandler and Dontal Wright each hit a free throw in the final 15 seconds to account for the other points in the run for Sexton, which outscored the Orioles, 14-4, in the final quarter.
The Big Reds trailed the entire game until Rogers came through late. Rogers' eight points in the final quarter helped Sexton overcome a 12-point second-half deficit.
"(This win) was very big," Rogers said.
"Basically we're ahead of the league now so we've just got to keep pushing forward."
With Friday's win, Sexton remained even in the loss column with Ionia, who it beat last week. Ionia, which knocked off Lansing Catholic at home on Friday, has a half-game lead in the CAAC White with its 4-1 mark.
"It's huge," Beard said. "This league is kind of open. Home court is really important. I tell my guys you've got to protect home court."
Charlotte (2-7, 1-4) was led by Braden Hill's 15 points. The Orioles had a chance to take the lead with 17.5 seconds to play but missed a pair of free throws. Charlotte missed a long 3 as time expired.
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Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Boys basketball: Charleston Rogers helps Sexton rally past Charlotte
