Clover Park guard Ahmaad Rorie drives to the hoop after a steal in the Warriors’ 66-51 win over Fife on Jan. 24. (Photo by Rocky Ross)
With the way they are consistently dominating in the backcourt already, Clover Park guards David Crisp and Ahmaad Rorie might have quite the legacy by the time senior year rolls around. The sophomore duo stole the show again, displaying dazzling quickness and sharp outside shooting to lift the Warriors to a 66-51 win over Fife on Jan. 24.
"Their performance is at a (high) level," said Clover Park head coach Mel Ninnis, noting that University of Washington coaches were in attendance. "When they spend money on having coaches come out and watch those guys at (age) 15 and 16, that means they're a little bit different than other people."
Crisp hit four three-pointers and tallied a game-high 29 points, while Rorie added 24 points for the Warriors, who jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead. After Fife battled back to within 14-12, the Warriors rattled off a 14-0 run – including Crisp's steal and layup at the buzzer in the first quarter – to take control.
"We've just been coming out trying to run and play defense early," Crisp said. "With our guard play, we'll get points for the team, but we were trying to play defense to get this win."
Rorie capped the Warriors' run early in the second with a three-point play, and despite Fife launching their own 10-0 run, Crisp drained a three late in the quarter to help give Clover Park a 31-24 lead at the half.
Fife stayed in the game thanks to dominant play inside from Teddy Hardy, who had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Bryce Miller, who tallied a team-high 19 points and 15 rebounds.
"He's a good player…great kid, really smart," said Ninnis of Miller. "We just had to get a little more help on him."
Miller got the Trojans within 37-34 midway through the third quarter with a layup after a steal, but Crisp answered with a short jumper, Rorie grabbed a steal for an easy layup, and Crisp hit another three for a 10-point cushion.
"We've been playing together since like fourth grade in AAU," said Crisp of his connection with Rorie. "The chemistry is still there. We know how each other plays, know when we're going to be open. We set each other up to score, and keep scoring."
Crisp was fouled on a three-point attempt with two seconds remaining in the third, and hit all three free throws to give the Warriors a comfortable 50-39 lead heading into the fourth. The duo nailed two more three-pointers in the final period, helping the Warriors secure the win and remain atop the league standings at 9-1.
"We've just got to stay hungry and humble, and come to work every day, and everything's going to fall where it's supposed to fall," Ninnis said.
"We're not looking down on teams anymore," Crisp added. "We're playing them as if it's the state championship."
