No OT required
- Updated: February 20, 2017
Game was as tight as last year’s classic for a while, but Plainview pulls away from Piedmont late in third quarter
Piedmont’s Austin Brazier (22) focuses on the basket as Plainview’s Cade Willingham (21) and Bailey Dukes move in to defend. (All photos by B.J. Franklin/GungHo Photos)
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE — Piedmont and Plainview needed five overtimes to decide their Northeast Regional semifinal game last year. They didn’t need any this time.
The game was just as tight as last year – “a fist-fight game,” is how Plainview coach Robi Coker put it — but in the end Plainview did better on the boards and made more free throws to pull away for a 46-33 win in the Class 3A regional semifinal at Jacksonville State.
“We knew it was going to be one of those games where baskets were at a premium and you had to earn every one of them,” Coker said. “And you’d better get that thing with two hands or they were going to take your ball. As the game progressed we got better at working our offense, making them guard and sharing the basketball and then getting great shots.”
With Piedmont successful in slowing the pace the game was tied 20-20 at halftime and Plainview guard Jeffery Armstrong immediately thought “here we go again.”
Last year, the Bears rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime and the teams went on to play one of the longest games in tournament history.
This one remained tight until the last two minutes of the third quarter when the Bears (29-4) embarked on a 7-1 run that produced an eight-point lead early in the fourth to send them on their way. They’ll play New Hope, a last-second winner over Glencoe, in the regional finals.
One of the biggest plays in the run was a block-charge that went against Piedmont and kept the momentum on Plainview’s side.
“The second half they hit a few more shots than we did,” Piedmont coach Tommy Lewis said. “Once they got the lead and you’re chasing a team like Plainview with their offense you’re going to get burned. You just can’t chase them.”
Taylor Hayes led Piedmont (16-15) with 13 points; he was the Bulldogs’ only scorer in double figures. Austin Brazier had eight points and seven rebounds. Armstrong led Plainview with 13 points.
New Hope 64, Glencoe 62: Jacob Maples hit a 3-pointer right before the final horn to break the Yellow Jackets’ hearts and send New Hope into the regional final against Plainview.
The Indians (22-8) trailed by 13 at halftime and by eight with 7:08 left in the game. Omar Jolly led the comeback with nine of his team-high 26 points in the final seven minutes, while Campbell Everett and Maples had five points each. Everett and Maples both had 13 points.
Cole Holbrooks gave Glencoe a 62-61 lead with two free throws with 28 seconds left. Everett missed a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left, but Nick Johnson rebounded. The Indians worked it around until Maples let his game-winner go.
The Indians hit five 3-pointers in the second half after going 0-for-6 from behind the arc in the first half.
You want to know how close this game was? Both teams were 24-of-46 from the field and both teams hit 11 free throws. The Indians made two more 3-pointers.
Piedmont’s Taylor Hayes (L) tries to make a power move around Plainview’s Caden Millican.
CLASS 3A BOYS BOX SCORES
Plainview 46, Piedmont 33
PLAINVIEW (29-4) – Luke Graham 1-2 1-2 3, Caden Millican 3-6 0-0 7, Jeffery Armstrong 4-10 5-6 13, Cade Willingham 3-6 2-5 9, Koby Tinker 1-8 0-0 3, Chance Broyles 0-1 4-6 4, Levi Lusk 0-0 0-0 0, Dane Haymon 0-0 0-0 0, Bailey Dukes 0-0 0-0 0, Clay Cooper 1-2 3-5 5, Devin Foshee 0-0 0-0 0, Dylan Scott 1-1 0-1 2. Totals 14-36 15-25 46.
PIEDMONT (16-15) – A.J. Fairs 0-4 1-2 1, Cardavian Myers 0-0 0-1 0, Taylor Hayes 5-13 3-5 13, Easton Kirk 2-7 0-0 5, Austin Brazier 3-7 2-5 8, Derrick Baer 0-0 0-0 0, Carl Myers 0-1 1-2 1, Lee Stanley 0-1 0-0 0, Shane McCord 1-1 0-0 2, Weston Kirk 0-2 3-4 3, T.J. Fairs 0-0 0-0 0, Ryley Kirk 0-0 0-0 0, Kaedon Jenkins 0-0 0-0 0, Delo Foster 0-0 0-0 0, Gage Boatner 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-36 10-19 33.
Plainview 10 10 11 15 — 46
Piedmont 4 16 6 7 — 33
3-point goals: Plainview 3-16 (Millican 1-3, Armstrong 0-3, Willingham 1-3, Tinker 1-5, Broyles 0-1, Cooper 0-1); Piedmont 1-11 (A. Fairs 0-2, Hayes 0-3, E. Kirk 1-5, W. Kirk 0-1). Rebounds: Plainview 33 (Graham 5, Willingham 5, Cooper 5); Piedmont 25 (Brazier 7, Hayes 5, E. Kirk 5). Total fouls: Plainview 22, Piedmont 19. Officials: Terry Anthony, Kyle Chambers, Bill Young.
New Hope 64, Glencoe 62
NEW HOPE (22-8) – Campbell Everett 4-7 2-2 13, Bret Clark 5-11 0-1 10, Omar Jolly 9-17 8-10 26, Josh Warren 0-0 0-0 0, Jacob Maples 5-9 1-4 13, Jonate Cotton 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Jacob Reavis 1-1 0-2 2. Totals 24-46 11-19 64.
GLENCOE (17-14) – Aaron Bush 4-8 0-0 10, Justin Barkley 6-11 4-4 17, Cole Holbrooks 10-17 7-11 27, Micah Sizemore 3-4 0-0 6, Jakeb Amberson 1-5 0-0 2, Brandon Bishop 0-0 0-0 0, Noah Huff 0-0 0-0 0, Paul Hicks 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-46 11-15 62.
New Hope 10 9 24 21 — 64
Glencoe 13 19 17 13 — 62
3-point goals: New Hope 5-14 (Everett 3-5, Clark 0-2, Jolly 0-3, Maples 2-4); Glencoe 3-11 (Bush 2-5, Barkley 1-2, Holbrooks 0-1, Sizemore 0-1, Amberson 0-1, Hicks 0-1). Rebounds: New Hope 19 (Jolly 5, Maples 5); Glencoe 33 (Barkley 9, Sizemore 9). Fouled out: Warren. Total fouls: New Hope 16, Glencoe 16. Officials: Jason Jones, Jason Tidwell, Bill Young.
On the cover: Jeffery Armstrong (20) drives to the basket past Piedmont’s Easton Kirk.
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