Showdown Saturday
- Updated: December 5, 2020
Anniston’s Carlisle, Kite combine for 59, offsetting 34 by Davidson in showdown of state’s most dynamic players; Oxford pulls away from Calera
Saturday’s scores
Anniston 81, Calhoun 77
Gadsden City 68, Jacksonville 66
Oxford 74, Calera 64
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
HUNTSVILLE –– Torry Brown was confident his team could score the basketball. He was equally sure Calhoun’s J.D. Davidson was going to get his usual 30-35 points and the Bulldogs’ key to victory would be keeping his teammates from getting theirs.
The Anniston coach was right on all counts.
The Bulldogs edged Calhoun 81-77 in the final game of Saturday’s BeELITE Hoops Showcase at Mae Jemison to remain undefeated.
The crowd came to see the matchup between Calhoun’s Davidson and Anniston’s Antonio Kite, and they weren’t at all disappointed.
Davidson, the best player in the state, scored 34 points for the reigning Class 2A state champions. But the Bulldogs offset that with 39 points from Malcolm Carlisle and 20 from Kite, the state’s best junior, and, more importantly, won the game.
It was a tight game throughout with Kite keeping the Bulldogs together until Carlisle got going.
“He stabilized us, especially in the first quarter when guys were still trying to feel their way out,” Brown said. “It was big for us in the first quarter because he really got downhill, got the ball in the lane and he scored early that helped us out a lot until some other guys got going.”
With about three minutes to go Carlisle hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Bulldogs a seven-point lead; he hit six 3-pointers in the game. Calhoun cut the margin to three or four a couple times, but the Bulldogs kept that separation to the end.
Carlisle scored 27 points in the second half. He and Kite combined for 18 in the third quarter.
“When Malcolm got going he really, really, really played extremely well,” Brown said. “He shot the ball well. He got downhill. He got to the basket. He did everything that we wanted and needed him to do. I talk about competitive greatness and being at your best when your best is needed and tonight he was at his best and it was needed.”
Brown also had high praise for the spark Tadyn Jones gave his team off the bench, Miciah Myles’ effort on the boards and, of course, Mark Toyer maintaining his reputation as the best defender in the state.
Davidson, meanwhile, scored eight in the first quarter, 16 in the first half and 11 in the fourth quarter.
“Obviously, good players are going to do what they do and we knew he was going to come in and make a lot of highlight plays and things like that,” Brown said, “but we felt we could come in offensively and score the basketball too and we did.
“We hadn’t seen a 1-2-2 zone all year and really don’t have any set plays for it and the kids kind of figured it out. When you have guys who can score, you just try to space the court and let guys get out of the way as much as possible and let guys do what they do. Tonight was one of those games.”
Anniston 81, Calhoun 77
ANNISTON (6-0) – Mark Toyer 4 0-0 9, Antonio Kite 8 3-4 20, Malcolm Carlisle 14 5-6 39, Troy Hall 2 0-0 4, Miciah Myles 2 0-0 4, Tadyn Jones 2 0-0 5, Jakobe Collins 0 0-0 0, Kamron Sandlin 0 0-0 0. Totals 32 8-10 81.
CALHOUN (5-4) –Javion Means 2 1-2 5, Ladarren Mason 4 0-0 9, J.D. Davidson 15 3-10 34, Tederius Scott 1 0-0 3, Jadarius Freeman 0 0-0 0, Timothy Jones 1 0-0 2, Arnon Mitchell 3 0-0 9, Josh Curtis 7 0-0 15. Totals 33 4-12 77.
Anniston 12 24 22 23 – 81
Calhoun 14 23 22 18 – 77
3-point goals: Calhoun 7 (Curtis, Mitchell 3, Scott, Davidson, Mason); Anniston 9 (Toyer, Kite, Carlisle 6, Jones). Total fouls: Calhoun 9, Anniston 11. Officials: Alexander, White, Gregg.
Oxford strong in fourth
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
OXFORD – Another strong fourth quarter helped Oxford rally for a 74-64 victory over Calera at the Sports Arena.
The Yellow Jackets (6-2) enjoyed a 39-28 lead late in the second quarter before the Eagles (4-2) went on a 14-2 run lead to take the lead at 42-41 early in the third. The lead went back and forth from that point until the Eagles pulled ahead 56-52 early in the fourth.
Avalon Bush came off the bench and drilled a 3 to chop the lead to one point. This started a 12-point run for the Jackets in which Justin Moore had three baskets and Rylan Houck two to produce a 64-56 lead.
The Jackets outscored Calera 22-10 in the final quarter.
“I was proud of the way we hunkered down in the last quarter and played with a different style,” Oxford coach Joel VanMeter said. “It is all about facing different styles and getting ourselves ready for the playoffs at year end.”
The Yellow Jackets’ scoring spree ended when Calera’s Trevon Stoutemine gave Roc Taylor a brutal cheap shot elbow to the face when the officials were not looking. Taylor went down with a severe cut to his face and was rushed to the emergency room for stitches.
Taylor, in only his second game off the football field, had 13 points and five rebounds in limited playing time. Nine of his points came off of three 3-point baskets.
Houck took over the next few minutes with a couple of baskets and rebounds as the Jackets extend the lead to 10. He ended the game with 17 points, seven rebounds and a couple beautiful dunks.
Moore was brilliant all night with three slashing dunks, a game-high 23 points and six rebounds. Bush had all of his eight points in the fourth quarter.
Oxford 74, Calera 64
CALERA (4-2) – Isiah Green 3 0-0 6, Derrick Edwards 2 0-0 4, Jamarius Ford 2 0-0 4, Jordan Eggleston 7 1-2 15, Xzayvion Childress 4 1-2 9, Matthew Windham 0 0-0 0, Tyler Nelson 2 204 6, Keshawn Haynes 3 2-4 9, Justin Green 1 0-0 2, Rodriguez Smith 2 0-0 4, Trevon Stoutmine 2 1-2 5. Totals 28 7-15 64.
OXFORD (6-2) – Avelon Bush 2 3-4 8, Cordell Chatman 2 1-4 5, Rylan Houck 8 1-3 17, Peyton Watts 0 0-0 0, Michael McGraw 2 2-3 6, Roc Taylor 5 0-2 13, Justin Moore 9 3-5 23, Josh Patton 1 0-0 2. Totals 29 10-21 74.
Calera 18 18 18 10 – 64
Oxford 20 19 13 22 – 74
3-point goals: Calera 1 (Haynes); Oxford 6 (Taylor 3, Moore 2, Bush).
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