Whaley came off the bench and scored a career-high 19 points in less than 11 minutes. Williamsport’s zone defense rattled Coatesville all night, too, as the Millionaires led from start to finish and won, 54-38. Williamsport remained undefeated at home and, minus a rough second quarter, played one of its best games this season. The Millionaires (8-3) traditionally play man-to-man defense but when zone the whole way and never let Coatesville establish a rhythm.

Whaley never had been in more rhythm, making 7 of 11 shots and excelling on both ends while giving Williamsport a big lift on both ends.

“Once I hit my first shot everything kept falling,” Whaley said. “Everything was clicking.”

Whaley has started a few games this season but his versatility gives coach Allen Taylor a nice option off the bench. That value was driven home against Coatesville and Whaley started changing the game’s complexion, scoring five quick points late in the second quarter after the Raiders had cut a 13-point deficit to four. Whaley drained a 3-pointer before scoring in transition and Williamsport went up, 24-17 at the half.

Nayim Connelly-Ali (22) of Williamsport puts up a shot around the defense of Jaylin McNeil (25) of Coatesville Saturday evening at Williamsport High School Jan. 22, 2022. Williamsport won 54-38. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Whaley picked up where he left off in the third quarter, scoring eight points. He added six more in the fourth and scored 19 of Williamsport’s 32 points during a game-breaking 10 minute, 45-second span. After Xavier Taylor (four assists) found Whaley for his final basket, the Millionaires led 49-26 two minutes into the fourth quarter.

“Over the summer I was playing AAU and playing against 18 year olds. I was used to it when we started the season so that helped,” Whaley said. “We started to pick it up toward the end the second quarter and then once the second half started we just kept going.”

His ability to play both guard positions provides Williamsport a luxury and Whaley was as potent in the half-court offense as he was in transition, frequently blowing by and getting around defenders at the basket. The junior has emerged as a weapon in his first extended varsity campaign and is turning a productive offeseason into a breakout campaign.

“He’s our Manu Ginobili. He could very easily start for us but I like bringing him off the bench because that gives us some offense and defense coming off the bench,” Taylor said. “It’s nice having an offensive punch coming off the bench with George. He plays very cool, very calm and you can’t really speed him up. He’s even keel the whole time. The more experience we can get him the better off we are. He played a whale of a game.”

So did his teammates, especially defensively.

Kenon Brown (3) of Williamsport is fouled as he puts up a shot by Jaylin McNeil (25) of Coatesville Saturday evening at Williamsport High School Jan. 22, 2022. Williamsport won 54-38. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Williamsport has played zone a few times this season but never for long stretches, let alone an entire game. The Millionaires did not have a lot of time to work on the zone at practice either but they sure looked like veterans the way they executed it. Williamsport frequently kept Coatesville out of the paint and forced into a perimeter game.

The Raiders often settled for 3-point attempts throughout the first quarter and Williamsport pounced, building a 17-4 lead. Even when the Mililonaires offense stalled and went scoreless for six minutes in the second quarter, the effective defense enabled them to maintain the lead. Once the offense settled down in the second half, Williamsport landed the knockout blow.

“That’s a positive. That gives me hope,” Taylor said. “It’s something we can build on and hopefully improve on, and if we need to use it again we can do it. When you have that kind of length it’s nice to be able to get it out there all at the same time.”

Defensive stalwart Elijah Frierson, JJ Beagle, Jakiha Kline and Caleb Fausnaught did an excellent job protecting the rim. Brown, Whaley, Xavier Taylor and Nayim Connelly-Ali were all over ball-handlers and the zone squeezed the life from a potent offense as the game progressed. The Millionaires led by 24 midway through the fourth quarter and Coatesville did not reach 30 points until the closing minutes.

Williamsport never gave up anything easy and Frierson symbolized the team’s effort, frequently, sprinting back and breaking up what looked like sure layups. The senior has developed into one of the area’s premier defenders and made a huge impact, while also scoring nine points and adding four rebounds.

Kenon Brown (3) celebrates with team mates Nayim Connelly-Ali (22) and J.J.Beagle (33) after Brown scored and drew the foul against Jaylin McNeil of Coatesville Saturday evening at Williamsport High School Jan. 22, 2022. Williamsport won 54-38. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“Elijah has some phenomenal second-effort hustle defensive plays. His effort was huge,” Taylor said. “He played a whale of a game for us defensively. When he’s in that mode just being our utility man we’re playing at a different level.”

Brown played another strong game and effectively controlled the offense while making several big defensive plays. The senior point guard scored nine points, made three steals, dealt three assists and added three rebounds. Beagle was tough when he had the ball down low and gave Coatesville defensive fits, scoring nine points, grabbing six rebounds and blocking five shots.

Williamsport also turned the ball over just four times in the second half, executing its offense well, working for good shots and showing marked improvement after losing last Wednesday at Dallas. Every player contributed and the Millionaires took another step forward.

“We just wanted to run the clock a little bit and just slow the game down,” Whaley said. “When teams watch film they can’t just talk about one player. All of us can score.”

Williamsport has no time to savor this victory as it has another tough game tonight when it hosts Harrisburg.

“One thing you can count on is when Coach (Kirk) Smallwood’s boys come in you better be ready for a fight because his boys are going to compete from the jump to the end,” Taylor said. “His boys always are going to give your heart and effort, so we have to be ready to go out there and do the same thing as tonight and be ready to play.”

COATESVILLE (38)

Jaylin McNeil 1 0-0 2, Jeremiah Marshall 3 1-2 8, Dior Kennedy 6 1-1 13, James Taylor 2 0-0 5, TJ Scott 1 0-0 2, Jaden Gallimore 1 0-0 2, Devin Hunt 2 0-0 4, Marcus Evans 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 2-3 38.

WILLIAMSPORT (54)

Kenon Brown 4 1-1 9, JJ Beagle 4 1-3 9, Elijah Frierson 4 1-2 9, George Whaley 7 4-4 19, Nayim Connelly-Ali 2 0-0 4, Xavier Taylor 0 0-2 0, Jakhi Kline 2 0-0 4, Caleb Fausnaught 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 7-12 54.

Coatesville 4 13 6 15 — 38

Williamsport 17 7 17 13 — 54

3-point goals: Coatesville 2 (Marshall, Taylor); Williamsport 1 (Whaley).

Records: Coatesville (8-5), Williamsport (7-4).