Yellow Jackets drop heartbreaker
- Updated: December 20, 2016
Yellow Jackets rally from slow start only to fall on two free throws in the final second; also includes Piedmont, Talladega, Sacred Heart
Tuesday’s Games
Cedar Bluff 68, Piedmont 62
Donoho 61, Victory Christian 27
Ramsay 70, Sacred Heart 37
Talladega 80, Cleburne County 44
Thompson 70, Oxford 68
By East Alabama Sports Today
BIRMINGHAM – The Oxford basketball team learned a hard lesson Tuesday about the way it needs to approach games.
The Yellow Jackets came out sluggish in their opening round game of the Zaxby’s Invitational at Oak Mountain and although they did come back to take a lead, they eventually lost to Thompson 70-68 on a pair of free throws with half a second left in regulation.
“That (call) is not what cost us the game,” Yellow Jackets coach Joel VanMeter said. “What cost us was … not approaching the game the right way. We came out and were terrible, to be real honest. We don’t do what we need to do to be ready to play the game and we go down early.
“It’s a lesson you’ve got to learn at some point and I told them whatever you did to prepare yourself for this game don’t do it again because it didn’t work. I’ve got great kids, love them to death and love coaching them. When we play with passion and energy and having fun on the floor we’re really good. There were times in that game we looked really good, but if we don’t play that way and we start thinking we’re in trouble.”
The Yellow Jackets were in trouble early, falling behind 23-10 and eventually trailing by 12 at the half. They were a different team in the second half, going on a 31-14 run to get back in the game and were leading by five with 2:30 to go.
Thompson retook the lead with the help of some sharp deft 3-point shooting and led by two when Oxford’s Eugene Leonard hit two free throws to tie it and set the final scenario in motion.
The Warriors took the last shot and the rebound came loose on the floor. In the scramble near the free throw line Oxford’s Braden Mack was called for a blocking foul, sending the Warriors to the line for the game-winning free throws.
The Yellow Jackets play Demopolis Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Nolan goes for 30 in Sacred Heart loss
BIRMINGHAM — Kevion Nolan, playing on the floor that will be his collegiate home court, scored 30 points and grabbed eight rebounds as shorthanded Sacred Heart fell to Ramsay 70-37 in the first round of the Steel City Invitational at Samford’s Pete Hanna Center Tuesday.
The Cardinals, still top-ranked in Class 1A, are still without the five players (four starters) suspended for leaving the bench area during a recent game with Spring Garden. The Cardinals are 1-3 during the window of suspensions, which closes when the team completes the tournament.
They will play Paul Bryant Wednesday at 9 a.m. Paul Bryant lost to Parker, 38-31.
STEEL CITY INVITATIONAL
Ramsay 70, Sacred Heart 37
SACRED HEART — Jaylon Croft 1-2 0-0 2, Dodson 0-1 0-0 0, JonRiley Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Kevion Nolan 10-25 7-13 30, Khalil Watkins 1-10 1-4 3, Jack Miller 0-3 0-0 0, Caleb LaFollette 0-1 0-0 0, Cheatwood 0-0 0-0 0, Zane Marion 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 13-43 8-17 37.
RAMSAY — Baniko Harley 4-4 0-0 8, Jacorie Gray 2-7 1-2 5, Nathan Orebeaux 1-5 0-0 2, Kobe McClain 4-7 3-4 11, Brandon Houston 2-8 2-4 6, Terrell Gardner 5-12 0-0 12, Zayvious Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Josh Horn 1-1 3-5 5, Issiah Donaldson 1-5 0-0 2, Harrington 1-4 2-2 5, Walter Garfield 0-1 2-2 2, Edward Collins 2-4 0-0 5, Kisean Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Terence Anderson 3-4 0-0 7. Totals 26-63 13-19 70.
Sacred Heart 7 10 14 6 — 37
Ramsay 23 14 22 11 — 70
3-point goals: Sacred Heart 3-20 (Croft 0-1, Dodson 0-1, Nolan 3-11, Watkins 0-5, J. Miller 0-2); Ramsay 5-21 (Gray 0-1, Orebeaux 0-1, Houston 0-2, Gardner 2-7, Donaldson 0-4, Harrington 1-2, Garfield 0-1, Collins 1-1, Johnson 0-1, Anderson 1-1). Rebounds: Sacred Heart 22 (Nolan 8); Ramsay 55 (McClain 9, Anderson 8). Total fouls: Sacred Heart 13, Ramsay 16.
Talladega puts four in double figures
HEFLIN – Fred Dickerson and the Tigers got off to a fast start, blasting out to a 27-8 first-quarter lead and coasting to their third victory in four area games.
Dickerson scored eight of his 13 points and dealt seven of his nine assists in the first quarter. Ashton Duncan scored nine of his game-high 21 points in the first. All 10 players who got in the game for the Tigers scored and four scored in double figures.
John Robinson led Cleburne County with 19 points.
Talladega 80, Cleburne County 44
TALLADEGA – Fred Dickerson 5 0-0 13, Chaztin Tanner 2 1-2 6, Tyrese Scales 1 0-1 2, Jarvius McKenzie 1 2-2 4, Ashton Duncan 9 0-1 21, Chrishawn Williams 5 0-0 10, TraShaundre Bolden 5 0-1 10, Robert Houston 2 0-0 4, Jamonte Twymon 2 0-0 4, Jae-lyn Russ 3 0-0 6. Totals 35 3-7 80.
CLEBURNE COUNTY – Stashun Henson 2 3-4 8, Brock Swafford 0 0-0 0, Josh Brown 0 0-2 0, Caleb Brown 2 0-0 4, Isavia Brown 2 0-2 4, Win Morow 0 0-1 0, Landon Embry 2 0-1 4, Avery Gentry 0 1-2 1, Parker Freeman 1 0-0 2, Noah Holloway 1 0-0 2, John Robinson 8 3-6 19. Totals 18 7-18 44.
Talladega 27 22 18 13 — 80
Cleburne Co. 8 9 14 13 — 44
3-point goals: Talladega 7 (Dickerson 3, Tanner, Duncan); Cleburne County 1 (Henson). Total fouls: Talladega 17, Cleburne County 9.
Piedmont falls in Cherokee Invitational consolation game
GAYLESVILLE – Cedar Bluff hit six of its seven 3-pointers in the first half to open an 11-point halftime lead and held off Piedmont in the fourth quarter to take the consolation game of the Cherokee Invitational.
Five different Tigers hit from behind the arc in the first half. Keaton Kilgo hit two of them and finished as their leading scorer with 16 points.
Carl Myers scored nine of his 12 points in a 26-point fourth quarter that brought Piedmont back. Austin Brazier led the Bulldogs with 16 points.
CHEROKEE INVITATIONAL
Consolation Game
Cedar Bluff 68, Piedmont 62
PIEDMONT – A.J. Fairs 4 1-2 11, Cardavion Myers 1 3-4 5, Taylor Hayes 0 1-2 1, Derrick Baer 0 0-0 0, Easton Kirk 4 0-0 11, Carl Myers 5 0-0 12, Austin Brazier 5 6-10 16, Weston Kirk 1 0-0 2, T.J. Fairs 0 0-0 0, Kaedon Jenkins 2 0-0 4. Totals 22 11-18 62.
CEDAR BLUFF – Rashawn Woods 3 0-1 7, Isaiha Jones 2 2-8 6, Darion Fife 3 0-0 5, Dom McCorkle 3 4-5 10, Tre Williams 0 0-0 0, Keaton Kilgo 7 0-1 16, Trey Stitts 0 0-0 0, Ivory Starr 5 1-3 13, Michal Croft 3 2-4 9, Ross Johnson 1 0-0 2. Totals 26 9-22 68.
Piedmont 8 17 11 26 — 62
Cedar Bluff 13 23 19 13 — 68
3-point goals: Piedmont 7 (A. Fairs 2, E. Kirk 3, Cl. Myers 2); Cedar Bluff 7 (Woods, Fife, Kilgo 2, Starr 2, Croft). Total fouls: Piedmont 18, Cedar Bluff 15. Officials: Rary, Ingram, Hardemann.
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