The first time guard Gerard Dean-McBride saw forward Brian White shooting hoops in the John Marshall High School gymnasium, the guard was overwhelmed with excitement.
“My face blew up like I saw a new pair of Jordans,” Dean-McBride said.
The two knew each other, having played on different age groups for the AAU squad Team Loaded. But never had Dean-McBride imagined that White would transfer to John Marshall and play side by side with him.
The guard’s game has grown tremendously because of White. On Tuesday night in the Central Region quarterfinals, Dean-McBride benefited from White’s presence, scoring 25 points and leading the Justices to a 76-55 win over Highland Springs.
John Marshall (23-4) will play Armstrong in the semifinals Thursday at the Siegel Center. The Springers (17-10) were bounced from the region playoffs by the Justices for the second straight season.
With the Springers’ defense focusing on White, the Colonial District player of the year who joined the Justices after a one-year stint at SportsQuest, the lane was left open for Dean-McBride to surge to the basket. White tacked on 20 points, and Jay Broaddus knocked down a pair of 3s to finish with 14 points.
“All of us have weaknesses, and all of us have strong points,” Dean-McBride said. “When you add us together, it’s like a mixture. We can’t be stopped.”
Last year, Dean-McBride considered himself only a facilitator to other players on the court. Now the point guard sees himself as multifaceted, able to do whatever the team needs.
The relationship between the guard and the forward extends off the court, too. They share two classes, and White often helps Dean-McBride study.
“He’s like my big brother,” Dean-McBride said. “He’ll never let me fail.”
With the ball being spread around, John Marshall took an 18-5 lead early in the second quarter and never looked back. Highland Springs never got the margin closer than 10 points.
“We’re not good enough individually for any one player to win the game himself,” Justices coach Ty White said. “Anyone, any night. That’s our mindset.”
C.J. Wiggins led the Springers with 16 points. Curt Jones, a freshman who played along side White last year at SportsQuest, had 15. The Springers managed only four field goals in the first half.
John Marshall mixed up its defensive sets, switching between its 1-2-2 zone and man-to-man nearly every timeout.
“You can’t stay in anything too long, or they’ll get in a rhythm,” Ty White said. “(Defense) is the focus the remainder of this year. Just having a defensive mindset for 32 minutes.”
HIGHLAND SPRINGS (17-10) — C. Jones 15, Gaston 7, Wiggins 16, Carter 2, Stovall 5, R. Jones 10, English 0. Totals 19 12-17 55.
JOHN MARSHALL (23-4) — Dean-McBride 25, White 20, Broaddus 14, Williams 2, Sheppard 2, McCrae 7, Burton 2, Lampkin 2, Meade 2, Waller 0, Muhammad 0. Totals 30 13-20 76.
H. Springs 5 13 14 23 — 55
J. Marshall 13 22 18 23 — 76
3-point goals — HS: Wiggins 3, C. Jones 2; JM: Broaddus 2, McCrae.
Dean-McBride, White lead John Marshall over Highland Springs - Richmond Times-Dispatch: Boys:
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