The Southeastern High School sophomore guard’s big shooting night propelled the Trojans to back-to-back tournament victories for the first time since 2017.
Workman scored a career-high 26 points as the fifth-seeded Trojans used a late fourth quarter run to pull away from fourth-seeded Dayton Christian 59-45 in a D-VI district quarterfinal game at Troy High School.
Trojans sophomore Ayden Robinson had 14 points and junior Cole Walton added 12 for Southeastern (12-12), which advanced to play top-seeded Troy Christian in a D-IV district semifinal game at 6 p.m. Friday at Troy.
Warriors senior Brady Woodall had 15 points, senior Jamison Bates had 12 and sophomore Mason Woodall added 10 points for Dayton Christian, the Metro Buckeye Conference champion which finished its season 14-10.
“We prepared really hard for them this week,” said Southeastern coach Chris Stout. “They’re a great team obviously. (Brady Woodall and Bates) are phenomenal players, probably the best 1-2 punch we’ve seen this year. We had a game plan and executed it. The boys played their butts off. My hats off to them.”
Workman had 12 points in the first half, hitting two 3-pointers as the Trojans took a 26-23 lead into the locker room.
“I don’t think he’s ever seen a shot he doesn’t like,” Stout said.
The Warriors fought back in the third quarter, taking a 43-38 lead after seven straight points by Brady Woodall.
The fourth quarter, however, belonged to the Trojans.
Southeastern went on a 15-1 run, punctuated by a Workman 3-pointer with 1:45 remaining to give the Trojans a 53-44 lead.
“I was feeling it and I wasn’t really thinking about the time,” Workman said. “As it left my hand, I was like: ‘Please go in.’ It went in and that’s all that matters.”
He scored 14 points in the second half, driving to the hoop and getting easy buckets in transition.
“My shot was working and I got them coming out to the 3-point line and that kind of opened up the middle,” Workman said. “I just kept driving and shots were falling.”
Defensively, the Trojans held Dayton Christian — who entered the game averaging 59.8 points per game — to just two free throws and no field goals in the fourth quarter.
“Tonight was about one possession at a time,” Stout said. “We had to do all the little things right. We had to rebound, execute and play with heart. That’s what they did. … The hard work is starting to pay off and that’s what we’ve been talking about all year.”
The Trojans aren’t ready to see their season end anytime soon, Workman said. They want to keep playing as long as possible.
“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” he said. “(Walton) locked the best player on the floor down. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. All my teammates, I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Southeastern will face a tough task against the D-IV fourth-ranked Eagles, who’ve won 16 straight games. Troy Christian advanced with a 66-31 victory over 11th-seeded Miami Valley in the early game on Tuesday night at Troy.
“They’re a well-balanced team,” Stout said. “They’ve got a good inside presence and some great shooters. They’re a great team and they’re well-coached. We’re up for the challenge. We’re ready to get after it.”
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