George Pohly, The Macomb Daily
IMLAY CITY — New Haven was too good for Goodrich.
Putting their depth, athleticism and skill on display, the Rockets rolled into their fifth consecutive regional championship basketball game with a workmanlike, 78-45 Division 2 victory over the Martians at Imlay City on Tuesday night.
Senior Ronald Jeffery III scored 24 points and Romeo Weems had 15 while posting a triple-double as eight different New Haven players scored while the Rockets pushed their Macomb County-record regional winning streak to nine games with the victory over the second-place team from the Genesee Area Conference - Red.
Goodrich carried a seven-game winning streak into the game and was trying to reach a regional final for the second time in four years, but the Rockets were having none of it.
They led 22-11 after one quarter and substituted liberally throughout the first half. The Rockets wound up using 10 of the 14 players in uniform while raising their record to 23-1 with their 22nd consecutive victory.
"We passed the ball well. We got out in transition and got a lot of easy buckets," said the 6-foot-7 Weems, a Mr. Basketball finalist who was on the receiving end of three alley-opp passes for dunks in the second half. "Our guards can go out and play hard, scrap and rotate on defense because we've got a new group of guys coming in. Everybody plays hard the whole time. We played our pace.
"I think we can still improve a lot. Offensively, we can get a lot better. Defensively, we can get a lot better."
New Haven has won 98 games since Weems joined the team as a ninth-grader. The Rockets have at most four games left in his career.
"I'm just enjoying it," DePaul recruit Weems said as he signed an autograph for a young fan.
Senior Malen Lewis scored 12 points and junior Trenell Payne 10 for New Haven, which started its regional winning streak in 2014-15, the season before Weems arrived.
"It's a blessing," Rockets coach Tedaro France II said of the regional success. "It shows the dedication to the program we've had from a lot of kids."
France has called this team his deepest at New Haven. The Rockets started a different lineup than the one that took the floor for the MAC Red/White tournament championship against Roseville less than three weeks ago.
"We've got a lot of guys that are stepping up," France said. "I thought Malen Lewis set the tone for us with his defense and rebounding. Sometimes it's difficult to get kids to sacrifice, but our kids buy into it."
Sophomore Tyson Davis led Goodrich (18-6) with 14 points.
Jeffery made four 3-pointers and had five assists. Weems added 16 rebounds, 11 assists and three steals. Lewis had 10 rebounds.
New Haven will try to extend its county record of consecutive regional championships to five when it plays either Croswell-Lexington or Pontiac at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
New Haven turned two of its four most recent regional crowns into state semifinal berths. The Rockets won the 2017 state championship in Class B.
Weems dunked off a lob pass from Jeffery to open the second half. That gave New Haven a 44-26 lead, and the Rockets poured it on from there.
The second of Weems' consecutive alley-oop dunks later gave New Haven a 74-40 lead.
Jeffery had 14 points and Lewis 10 in the first half as New Haven built a 42-26 lead.
It was the third victory in New Haven's regional streak achieved at Imlay City. The Rockets won twice at the IC gymnasium in 2016, Weems' freshman season.
Winners of regional championships play in state quarterfinal games next Tuesday.
IMLAY CITY — New Haven was too good for Goodrich.
Putting their depth, athleticism and skill on display, the Rockets rolled into their fifth consecutive regional championship basketball game with a workmanlike, 78-45 Division 2 victory over the Martians at Imlay City on Tuesday night.
Senior Ronald Jeffery III scored 24 points and Romeo Weems had 15 while posting a triple-double as eight different New Haven players scored while the Rockets pushed their Macomb County-record regional winning streak to nine games with the victory over the second-place team from the Genesee Area Conference - Red.
Goodrich carried a seven-game winning streak into the game and was trying to reach a regional final for the second time in four years, but the Rockets were having none of it.
They led 22-11 after one quarter and substituted liberally throughout the first half. The Rockets wound up using 10 of the 14 players in uniform while raising their record to 23-1 with their 22nd consecutive victory.
"We passed the ball well. We got out in transition and got a lot of easy buckets," said the 6-foot-7 Weems, a Mr. Basketball finalist who was on the receiving end of three alley-opp passes for dunks in the second half. "Our guards can go out and play hard, scrap and rotate on defense because we've got a new group of guys coming in. Everybody plays hard the whole time. We played our pace.
"I think we can still improve a lot. Offensively, we can get a lot better. Defensively, we can get a lot better."
New Haven has won 98 games since Weems joined the team as a ninth-grader. The Rockets have at most four games left in his career.
"I'm just enjoying it," DePaul recruit Weems said as he signed an autograph for a young fan.
Senior Malen Lewis scored 12 points and junior Trenell Payne 10 for New Haven, which started its regional winning streak in 2014-15, the season before Weems arrived.
"It's a blessing," Rockets coach Tedaro France II said of the regional success. "It shows the dedication to the program we've had from a lot of kids."
France has called this team his deepest at New Haven. The Rockets started a different lineup than the one that took the floor for the MAC Red/White tournament championship against Roseville less than three weeks ago.
"We've got a lot of guys that are stepping up," France said. "I thought Malen Lewis set the tone for us with his defense and rebounding. Sometimes it's difficult to get kids to sacrifice, but our kids buy into it."
Sophomore Tyson Davis led Goodrich (18-6) with 14 points.
Jeffery made four 3-pointers and had five assists. Weems added 16 rebounds, 11 assists and three steals. Lewis had 10 rebounds.
New Haven will try to extend its county record of consecutive regional championships to five when it plays either Croswell-Lexington or Pontiac at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
New Haven turned two of its four most recent regional crowns into state semifinal berths. The Rockets won the 2017 state championship in Class B.
Weems dunked off a lob pass from Jeffery to open the second half. That gave New Haven a 44-26 lead, and the Rockets poured it on from there.
The second of Weems' consecutive alley-oop dunks later gave New Haven a 74-40 lead.
Jeffery had 14 points and Lewis 10 in the first half as New Haven built a 42-26 lead.
It was the third victory in New Haven's regional streak achieved at Imlay City. The Rockets won twice at the IC gymnasium in 2016, Weems' freshman season.
Winners of regional championships play in state quarterfinal games next Tuesday.
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