Can’t keep him down
- Updated: January 6, 2020
Boys roundup: Piedmont’s Odam goes for 23 in second half, brings Bulldogs back against White Plains; includes scores, stories, boxes and more
Monday’s boys scores
Alexandria 61, Clay Central 42
Cleburne County 68, Woodland 55
Faith Christian 67, Ranburne 63
Jacksonville 71, Munford 46
Piedmont 53, White Plains 48
Sacred Heart 77, Ohatchee 49
Saks 75, Wellborn 41
Sand Rock 72, Cedar Bluff 50
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
PIEDMONT – A team might keep Piedmont’s Alex Odam down for a while, but it’s not going to happen all game. Eventually the dynamic scorer is going to find his stroke and that team that held him off is going to be in trouble. Big trouble.
White Plains held the fabulous freshman to two points on a couple free throws in the first half Monday, but he broke out in the second half just by being more aggressive and propelled the Bulldogs to a 53-48 victory that turned the seedings for the Calhoun County Tournament on its ear.
Piedmont (12-2) was installed as the No. 6 seed in the upcoming tournament, while White Plains (12-8) is No. 3.
Odam ended up with 25 points. He was 12-for-12 from the free throw line, including four in the final 45 seconds after the Wildcats pulled within four after trailing by as many as 14 in the fourth quarter.
White Plains’ Jaden Chatman locked down on Odam in the first half. The only points he got came on two free throws midway through the second quarter that cut White Plains’ lead to 20-17.
Odam didn’t get his first field goal until 100 seconds elapsed in the second half, and then he went off for 15 of the Bulldogs’ 21 points in the quarter. What really got him going was a soaring 3-pointer from the left side – the only 3-pointer Piedmont made in the game – that capped a 13-0 run that was part of a larger 19-2 spree that gave them the lead and control of the game.
Even though the Bulldogs were down at halftime and his big scorer hardly scratched, coach JoJo Odam still felt his team was “halfway in good shape.” And he’s seen his son play enough to know it was only a matter of time before he was going to break out.
“I knew he didn’t score much early, but Silas (Thompson) … did a good job in that first half keeping in it, too, the way they were guarding Alex,” Odam said. “I get worried. I’ll look at him and I’ll say something to him and he just basically tells me to calm down. He’s so mature for his age.
“It’s hard to speed him up. It’s hard to get him out of his game. He’s so under control. He doesn’t let anything bother him. At that point it puts me back in my place. Not that he thinks oh I’m going to go win the game by myself, but he knows we’re going to be fine.”
Odam the player said White Plains guarded him the same way in the second half, he was just more aggressive against it.
“I was looking for my shot,” he said. “I knew I’d have to knock a few down to help us out, but everybody else was playing great in the first half to help us stay in. I knew they were going to start falling. I don’t ever get down on myself.”
The Wildcats were up by as many as seven in the second quarter and led by three at halftime. Their first-half surge was sparked by backups Walker O’Steen and Garrett Wilson.
O’Steen had eight points in the half. Wilson had five, but his overall play impressed coach Chris Randall enough to earn a start in Tuesday night’s area game against Hokes Bluff.
“Garrett earned himself a start,” Randall said. “He guarded really good, got some deflections. He was aggressive on offense. He looked like he belonged. The moment wasn’t too big for him. I can’t say enough about him. He’ll be starting tomorrow night. He really earned some trust and some minutes. He really was the difference in the first half. If we don’t get his production we’re not even leading at halftime. I thought he was just solid.”
WHITE PLAINS (12-8) – Coleman Messer 1 0-0 2, Quin Wilson 1 0-0 2, Jaden Chatman 4 5-7 15, Jacob Wheeler 0 0-0 0, Brody Baker 6 0-1 14, Walker O’Steen 4 0-0 8, Kahlil Williams 0 0-0 0, Garrett Wilson 3 0-0 7. Totals 19 5-8 48.
PIEDMONT (12-2) – Alex Odam 6 12-12 25, Omarion Foster 0 0-2 0, Luke Bussey 0 0-1 0, Trey McFarland 1 1-2 3, Silas Thompson 7 1-2 15, Jack Hayes 1 0-0 2, Malachi Jackson 0 0-0 0, Jakari Foster 3 2-4 8. Totals 18 16-23 53
White Plains 11 13 6 18 – 48
Piedmont 12 9 21 11 – 53
3-point goals: White Plains 5 (Chatman 2, Baker 2, G. Wilson); Piedmont 1 (Odam). Fouled out: Bussey. Total fouls: White Plains 18, Piedmont 13. Officials: Holloway, Ned, Phillips.
Jacksonville 71, Munford 46
MUNFORD – Kyrie Maynor hit five of nine shots from the floor to lead four Jacksonville scorers in double figures and the Golden Eagles shot 65 percent as a team. Maynor had 16 points to lead all scorers. Cam Johnson and Yessman Green had 13 each and Q Long had 10. The four were a combined 20-of-30 from the floor.
JACKSONVILLE (11-3) – Kyrie Maynor 5-9 5-6 16, Cam Johnson 6-7 0-3 13, Yessman Green 5-8 2-2 13, Q Long 4-6 1-4 10, Ron Wiggins 2-2 1-1 5, Donavon McCain 2-3 0-1 4, Luke Jackson 2-3 0-0 4, John Broom 2-3 0-0 4, Jalen Morton 1-1 0-0 2, Hudson Harvey 0-0 0-0 0, Caden Johnson 0-2 0-0 0, Jacob McCarley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-44 9-17 71.
MUNFORD – Jaquan Anderson 2-3 2-2 8, Grady Russell 3-9 0-0 7, Andrew Williams 3-3 0-0 7, Justin Sistrunk 2-6 2-4 6, Dwight Moore 1-4 3-7 5, Jay Tuck 2-9 0-0 4, Caderio Holland 1-5 1-3 3, Joseph Morgan 1-3 0-0 3, Taariq Johnson 1-2 1-2 3, Jeremia Tipton 0-3 0-0 0, L.J. Flint 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-48 9-18 46.
Jacksonville 12 25 18 16 – 71
Munford 12 11 10 13 – 46
3-point goals: Jacksonville 4-12 (Maynor 1-3, Cm. Johnson 1-2, Green 1-2, Long 1-2, Jackson 0-1, Broom 0-1, Cd. Johnson 0-1); Munford 5-15 (Anderson 2-2, Russell 1-2, Williams 1-1, Moore 0-1, Tuck 0-4, Morgan 1-2, Tipton 0-2, Flint 0-1). Rebounds: Jacksonville 28 (McCain 7, Maynor 4); Munford 33 (Moore 7). Total fouls: Jacksonville 16, Munford 14.
Sacred Heart 77, Ohatchee 49
ANNISTON – Playing a day after the passing of his father, Jack Miller scored 20 points and led the Cardinals to another area victory.
The news of Miller’s father reached Cardinals coach Ralph Graves during Sunday’s county tournament seeding meeting. He left the decision to play up to the player and Miller responded with six of the Cardinals’ 12 3-pointers. He hit four in the second half, three in the fourth quarter.
Cade Landers had 18 for the Cardinals and Jarek Burroughs had 12. Briley Hale led Ohatchee with 15.
OHATCHEE (5-9) – Trey Pesnell 1 4-4 7, Tristan Easterwood 0 0-2 0, Cam Foushee 3 4-5 12, Jacob Bowers 0 0-2 0, Drake Hollis 1 3-4 5, Jared McFall 0 0-0 0, Austin Wyatt 2 5-6 9, Briley Hale 7 1-6 15, Michael Buckelew 0 1-2 1. Totals 14 18-31 49.
SACRED HEART (11-10) – Taishun Hall 3 2-4 9, Jarek Burroughs 4 2-2 12, Jack Miller 7 0-0 20, Devin Barksdale 1 0-0 3, Javen Croft 2 0-0 4, Anthony Bothwell 0 0-0 0, Aaron Moore 2 1-3 5, Delroy Francis 0 0-0 0, Cade Landers 7 2-2 18, Eric Tolson 1 0-0 2, Mykhel Simmons 2 0-0 4. Totals 29 7-11 77.
Ohatchee 11 15 11 10 – 49
Sacred Heart 18 20 21 18 – 77
3-point goals: Ohatchee 3 (Pesnell, Foushee 2); Sacred Heart 12 (Hall, Burroughs 2, Miller 6, Barksdale, Landers 2). Technical fouls: McFall, Burroughs, Landers. Fouled out: Miller. Total fouls: Ohatchee 15, Sacred Heart 26.
Alexandria 61, Clay Central 42
ANNISTON – Collin Taylor went 6-for-6 from the foul line and hit a pair of 3-pointers on the way to a game-high 22 points for the Valley Cubs. Landan Williams added 16 for Alexandria. Williams and Julian Wright scored six points apiece in the first quarter as the Cubs jumped to a 16-5 lead, Taylor had eight in the second quarter, then went for 12 in the third.
CLAY CENTRAL – Caden McCain 1 0-0 2, Javon Wood 1 0-1 2, Noah Higgins 1 1-2 4, Clay Yates 0 1-3 1, Tanner Higgins 4 2-2 13, Nick Lipham 0 0-0 0, Elisha McNeil 4 7-12 15, Quentin Knight 0 0-1 0, E-Jay Simmons 2 0-0 4, Micah Harris 0 1-2 1. Totals 13 12-25 42.
ALEXANDRIA (12-3) – Javais McGhee 1 1-4 3, Collin Taylor 7 6-6 22, D’Anthony Walton 1 4-6 6, Ivonte Davis 0 0-0 0, Seth Slaton 2 2-4 8, Julian Wright 1 2-8 4, Dustin Warren 0 0-0 0, Javarious Williams 1 0-2 2, Landan Williams 6 4-5 16. Totals 19 19-35 61.
Clay Central 5 11 12 14 – 42
Alexandria 16 19 20 6 – 61
3-point goals: Clay Central 4 (N. Higgins, T. Higgins 3); Alexandria 4 (Taylor 2, Slaton 2). Fouled out: Wood, Harris, Wright. Total fouls: Clay Central 26, Alexandria 20.
Saks 75, Wellborn 41
ANNISTON – Zay Elston helped the Wildcats get off to a good start with 12 points in the first quarter. Kyle Goedde had eight in the second quarter as they extended the lead to 20 at the break. Elston finished with 18 points, Goode had 11. Wellborn’s K.V. Wesley led all scorers with 20 points.
SAKS (9-4) – Benji Wilson 2 3-4 8, Zaejuan Johnson 1 0-0 2, Will Mikson 3 0-0 6, Pat Williams 3 2-6 8, Myles McLaughlin 2 0-2 5, Conner Martin 1 0-1 2, Kyle Goedde 5 1-2 11, Jordan Cosper 3 0-2 6, Zay Elston 6 2-4 18, Tyler Smith 3 0-0 6, Aramis Taylor 2 0-0 4. Totals 31 8-21
WELLBORN (1-8) – K.V. Wesley 6 7-10 20, Chris Lloyd 2 1-3 7, Tae Traylor 0 1-2 1, Rob Broom 2 1-1 6, Ethan Tidwell 2 0-0 4, Kameron Jackson 1 1-2 3, Totals 13 11-18 41.
Saks 26 16 17 16 – 75
Wellborn 5 17 13 6 – 41
3-point goals: Saks 5 (Wilson, McLaughlin, Elston 3); Wellborn 4 (Wesley, Lloyd 2, Broom). Total fouls: Saks 16, Wellborn 15.
Faith Christian 67, Ranburne 63
ANNISTON –Thomas Curlee scored 18 points and C.J. Gomez and Jacques Prater each had 15 for the Lions (10-8).
You must be logged in to post a comment Login