Wylie sophomore Tre Pierce, pictured in previous action, helped lead the Pirates to a 49-37 win over Rowlett on Tuesday. Dec. 16. Photo by Elijah Kloepping / C&S Media

By David Wolman

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ROWLETT – Defense has been the staple for the Wylie boys basketball team.

The Pirates have held opponents to 50 points or fewer in eight of the first 10 games they have won this season.

Playing a Rowlett team that has scored at least 60 points in four games, including a season-high 74 in its previous game against Garland, Wylie held the Eagles to half that total during a 49-37 road win Tuesday.

Head coach Stephen Pearce was particularly proud of the Pirates’ closeouts and their ability to cut off gaps and driving lanes and force the Eagles to take contested jump shots.

“They did a heck of a job following the game plan and trusting it and sticking to it,” Pearce said. “It was a really good effort on the defensive side.”

Another thing that pleased Pearce about his team’s performance was the start.

Wylie, which struggled at the onset in its two previous games against Naaman Forest and South Garland before cruising to blowout wins, was much more assertive to begin Tuesday’s contest. The Pirates built a 20-7 lead and never looked back. Senior guard Theo Allen scored Wylie’s 20th point of the first half on a jumper from the free-throw line with 3:56 left in the second quarter.

Rowlett showed some resistance, but senior Chase Hughes helped end the first half with a bang for Wylie. With time winding down, sophomore Noah Dzurenko spotted Hughes open in the left corner. Dzurenko made a pump fake to draw Rowlett’s defense to his side of the court, then made a pass just over the hands of a Rowlett defender and into the hands of Hughes, who buried the corner 3-pointer for a 27-15 halftime lead.

The Eagles attempted to slow down the Pirates with their defensive pressure, and while they succeeded a few times, Wylie played a selfless style of basketball in which several players touched the ball on nearly every possession. That ball movement allowed the Pirates to break down the Eagles’ zone defense and create driving lanes to the basket.

“That’s kind of the epitome of this group,” Pearce said. “We have some seniors that share the ball really well, work together well and don’t care who really takes the shot, just as long as we take a good one.”

Hughes dribbled through a trap near center court late in the third quarter and made a layup to give the Pirates a commanding 35-21 lead.

Dzurenko put the finishing touches on the 11th win of the season for Wylie (11-6 overall, 3-0 District), the fourth consecutive win, with a three-point play for a 47-29 lead with 1:56 left in the game.

Dzurenko finished with 12 points to pace a balanced scoring attack. Hughes contributed nine points. Henry Stark, also a senior, had eight points. Darian Romano, a senior, led the way with 14 points.

“We’re getting better and better, have guys that are getting comfortable in their roles,” Pearce said. “We’ve played a lot of games. We’re figuring out who we are.”