To say Detroit Western is talented would be an understatement. Yet the ability to win when one if not two key pieces do not play or meet their usually standards separate good teams from great teams.
And Western wants to be a great team.
Detroit Western improved to 11-0 overall and 7-0 in DPS play following a 72-55 victory Tuesday over Detroit Henry Ford. However, senior guard Josh McFolley played sparingly with a stomach virus. The U of D Mercy commit went 0-6 from the field, and received no playing time in the fourth quarter. Josh recorded 21 points in the team’s win over East English Village last Friday. Fellow senior and U of D Mercy commit Gerald Blackshear did not play or seen on the bench with a reported tooth injury. The 6’8″ Blackshear scored 14 points and recorded 14 rebounds in the EEVP game.
The Cowboys would lead 14-8 after the first eight minutes after junior guard Kareem Murray tallied seven points. The pivotal moment of the first half occurred when fellow junior guards Armani Tinsley and Kyree Boyton entered the game. The two accounted for five of the Cowboys’ seven second quarter threes, Kyree with two and Armani with three. Western was able to stretch their halftime advantage to 39-20.
“I dont think that was part of the plan,” said Tinsley following the game regarding the three-point shooting. “But you always have to be ready for change-ups, and they also played that zone so we were pretty happy that they did that. All we had to do was penetrate and kick to the open guy and hit our shots, they made our job easy.”
Ford would fight in the third, closing the deficit to ten with 1:06 left in the quarter, capping a 6-0 run which included a thunderous slam from Western Michigan bound senior Josh Davis. The Cowboys would respond with an 11-3 run behind an effective five guard lineup at times over the next four minutes into the fourth quarter to coast for victory.
“This one today made a huge statement,” Tinsley said. “Henry Ford is like our rivals so getting this win was very important to the team.”
Ford’s Davis was held to 13 points on 3-11 shooting. Trojan point guard and division one recruit James Towns also found his difficulties with the Cowboy defensive plan, a season low four points on 2-5 shooting.
Brailen Neely has been the Cowboy leading scorer throughout much of the early season, he contributed 24 points, and four rebounds. Kareem Murray had 15 points, but Armani Tinsley and Kyree Boyton both came off the bench for 11 and 16 points respectively.
“Me and Ree (Kyree), we are just always ready when our number is called,” said Tinsley. “So we got the job done.”
Western has been considered a top five team since the preseason and are currently the number one team in the state. The Cowboys have only played one game truly as a whole, and Armani doesn’t even think they have all “gelled” yet. Not the words opposing teams want to hear from an undefeated squad.
“I think the ceiling is high for this team,” Tinsley added. “Everyone expects to win, and we are not clicked just yet, we’re almost there but a couple more days or games with McFolley and Gerald, then we’ll be where we need to be as one whole.”
The Prep Ball Report 
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