Thomas makes claim for region MVP in win over MUS

Seniors Will Carter (left) and Gus Gran (right) hug after the Saints’ win over MUS. Gran wore #32 on senior night in honor of his injured teammate.

By Jason Williams

Eads, TN – Briarcrest sophomore Micah Thomas made a strong case for the most valuable player of the Division II-AA West Region in a 42-30 victory over MUS.

The 6-foot-7 guard scored 14 points and added four rebounds, six blocks and four steals to avenge the Saints’ only loss in region play this season. His presence on defense helped force the Owls into a horrid shooting night (14-of-47, including 0-of-12 from three).

“We’ve got some pretty gifted offensive players, but we won that game with great defense,” said Briarcrest head coach John Harrington. “They’re a hard team to guard. Their offense is ball-screen action after ball-screen action.”

Thomas leads the region in scoring at 14 points per game while also averaging three blocks and two steals. Senior Gus Gran compared Thomas’ defensive impact on the team to a former Briarcrest star.

“He’s a huge impact,” Gran said. “He’s our Austin Nichols from last year. We can pressure the ball, and if it does get by, he’s there to help.”

Gran scored five points and pulled down six rebounds on senior night with his family in town from South Dakota. He also wore the number 32 in honor of fellow senior Will Carter, who is out for the season with a broken leg.

Despite the night being dedicated to the seniors, it was the sophomore group that scored 35 of the team’s 42 points. Mark French added 12 points and four assists for the Saints.

With its top three scorers being sophomores, Will Hrubes sometimes gets lost when mentioning the talented group of players. He has been a consistent performer off the bench this season and brings scrappy rebounding and a confident shooting touch on the perimeter.

Hrubes made two three-pointers in the second quarter, including one in the closing seconds of the first half. Harrington said Hrubes is considered a starter on his team.

“Will hit 18 threes in a row in practice yesterday,” Harrington said. “He is a great shooter. I told him in the locker room that I’m sorry I didn’t play him more in the second half, but it was about match-ups. We had to have Micah around the basket. Gus was a little more physical than he was. Gus got in foul trouble, so Will had to play the whole first half. Will is a starter on our team though.”

Chris Galvin led MUS with 12 points but only made five of 20 field goals on the night. James Prather, who signed a football scholarship with Northwestern on Wednesday, also scored 10 points.

After scoring only 16 points as a team in the first three quarters, the duo combined to score all 14 points in the fourth quarter.

Division II-AA West Region update:

Briarcrest improved to 4-1 in regional play with its victory over MUS. CBHS also defeated St. Benedict Friday night to improve to 4-1.

Tied at the top of the region, the Saints and the Purple Wave will meet at CBHS on Tuesday to determine the region champion. Briarcrest won the first meeting of the season 52-46 on January 24.

Updated standings:

T-1. Briarcrest (18-8, 4-1)

T-1. CBHS (15-11, 4-1)

3. MUS (13-13, 2-3)

4. St. Benedict (11-13, 0-5)

Unofficial box score:

No.	BCS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
35	Micah Thomas*	14	4	0	1	6	4	4-8	2-4	4-5
10	Mark French*	12	2	4	3	1	1	3-7	2-3	4-5
20	Will Hrubes	6	1	0	1	0	0	2-3	2-3	0-0
32	Gus Gran*	5	6	1	1	0	1	2-3	0-0	1-2
21	Maceo Woodard*	3	3	1	3	0	0	1-4	0-1	1-2
11	Adam Pike	2	0	1	1	0	0	1-2	0-1	0-0
2	Marc Wilhite	0	1	0	1	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
15	KeShun Pinkney*	0	1	1	3	0	0	0-1	0-1	0-0
–	TEAM	–	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Totals		42	20	8	14	7	6	13-28	6-13	10-14

No.	MUS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
4	Chris Galvin*	12	8	3	1	0	0	5-20	0-4	2-2
33	James Prather*	10	5	0	3	0	0	5-10	0-0	0-0
1	Michael Baker*	4	7	0	2	0	1	2-3	0-0	0-0
3	Bailey Buford*	2	6	1	1	0	1	1-6	0-5	0-0
35	David Nelson	2	2	0	1	0	0	1-3	0-0	0-0
2	David Blankenship	0	0	0	1	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
10	Sam Fowlkes*	0	2	0	5	0	1	0-2	0-2	0-0
15	Owen Galvin	0	0	0	0	0	0	0-1	0-0	0-0
23	Andrew Counce	0	1	1	0	0	0	0-1	0-1	0-0
45	Preston White	0	0	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
–	TEAM	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Totals		30	32	5	14	0	3	14-47	0-12	2-2

Lady Saints remain perfect with 52-28 win over Hutchison

By Jason Williams

Eads, TN – Briarcrest guard Jasmine Cincore wanted to make her senior night a memorable one. Instead of the reigning Miss Basketball trying to get her scoring average, she wanted to get her fellow seniors involved.

Cincore only scored eight points, but she dished out seven assists in a 52-28 victory over Hutchison (7-14, 0-5). She helped fellow seniors Gabby Salazar and Hannah Steele record season-highs with 14 and seven points, respectively.

“We had a lot of fun sharing the ball today,” said Cincore, who has signed with the University of Nebraska. “It’s just a lot of fun with this team.”

Listed at 5-foot-1, Salazar hit three three-pointers and added six steals to lead Briarcrest (26-0, 5-0) to its 53rd win in its last 56 games. Despite leading the team in scoring on senior night, Salazar felt better about the win.

“It’s not really about scoring for me,” Salazar said. “It’s about us winning as a whole and doing what we need to do. We weren’t the sharpest tonight. That’s what I’m focused on is just getting sharp and getting my team ready for state.”

Steele drew the biggest cheers of the night with back-to-back jumpers in the fourth quarter. The opportunity to start and contribute on senior night was a chance she had been waiting on for a while.

“It’s definitely special getting the start,” Steele said. “You wait your whole career while you’re here to get to start in a game like this.”

Junior Brynn Holden scored 11 points for the Saints. Her twin sister Elise, the team’s second-leading scorer (12.5 points per game), missed the game with the flu.

Hutchison was led by Carter Stovall with eight points. Macy McCullough also scored seven. The Sting were 6-of-18 from beyond the arc.

Lady Saints seniors leave special legacy

By Jason Williams

With senior night approaching, head coach Lee Smith reflected on his five senior girls and the legacy they have left on the Briarcrest Lady Saints program.

But it wasn’t the impressive 26-game winning streak last season or a currently undefeated record that will define their legacy in a program that has won 13 of the last 16 regional championships.

“Obviously they’re on a winning streak and haven’t been beaten this year, but (their legacy) is the desire and determination these girls play with everyday,” said Smith, who is 229-41 in nine seasons as the Lady Saints coach.

“They’re never late; they’re always on time. They do it the right way. It’s the commitment that they bring and how close they are. I don’t think I’ve ever coached a team that is as close as these kids are.”

Jasmine Cincore is the heart of the Lady Saints, leading her team to an impressive 52-2 record over the past two seasons. As a junior, Cincore became the first Lady Saint since Alliesha Easley in 2006 to be named Miss Basketball.

Cincore, who has signed a letter of intent with the University of Nebraska, believes the bond among the seniors and the team as whole comes primarily from their head coach.

“(Coach Smith) prepares us before we become seniors,” Cincore said. “As seniors, he expects a lot from us. It’s not just basketball-wise. He grows us to be people also. He cares for us outside of basketball and makes sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to do. He’s an example for young kids.”

But Cincore is only one of a close-knit group of seniors that are continuing the strong Lady Saints tradition. Four other seniors – Kalynn Parks, Gabby Salazar, Hannah Steele and Lindsey Taylor – have developed a special bond in their time together.

“All these girls are like my sisters,” Steele said. “I can go to these girls about anything, and they’ll give me advice whether it’s basketball or not. After we graduate, we can still be friends and have strong relationships.”

Sisterhood is a common theme among the Lady Saints, and it starts at the most basic level and extends throughout all 13 girls on the team.

In their junior seasons, twin sisters Brynn and Elise Holden average double-figures. Lindsey Taylor also has a younger sister, sophomore Lauren Taylor, on the team. As a senior, the older Taylor feels the responsibility to set an example for her sister and the rest of the underclassmen.

“The fact that we can play sports together means I can set and example that you have to work for it,” Lindsey said. “I made her come with me on the weekends to make sure we work out and instill the type of leadership she needs for future Lady Saints basketball players.”

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Lady Saints on the court is each player’s recognition of her specific role. The team operates with a rotation of seven to nine players. Lindsey recognizes her role off the bench as a defensive leader.

“Everyone has their own individual thing,” Lindsey said. “Jasmine is the all-around player. The twins know how to drive and get to the goal. Kathryn (Newman) and Gabby can shoot. Kalynn can do some major post game. But we also need that person on defense that keeps everyone together, and I think I can take that place and just help the team improve their defense.”

On a team that is currently 25-0 with three games left in the regular season, Smith is proud of his girls for knowing their individual roles on the court, calling it a “gift” to coach them.

“When people understand their roles, it works together,” Smith said. “You have everybody getting in their seat. You can have one driver, but you can have a lot of passengers. But these girls know their role. They understand it, and they go in and perform their role. They perfect it. Everybody works together … That’s been a gift, and I don’t take it lightly.”

Watching almost the entire season from the bench while recovering from a torn Achilles, Parks has seen a much different team that the one that lost in the state semi-finals a year ago. She has seen her teammates understand the coaches’ orders and apply it on the court.

“This year, we play so much better as a team,” Parks said. “A lot of people watch the game and think Jasmine is so amazing, but we have three players scoring in double-figures most nights. We have other strong starters and people who come off the bench. Watching them this year, we’re stronger as a unit than any one individual.”

With time ticking down on the season before the state tournament, as well as graduation for these five seniors, the legacy of this senior class becomes clearer as each day passes. Salazar doesn’t mention the two 25-plus game winning streaks or specific moments on the court. She will remember her teammates and her coaches.

“I’ll remember how close we are,” Salazar said. “We’re not just teammates; we’re family. We have lunch together in (the locker room). There’s not a team closer than us. I’ll always remember coach Smith and how he was a coach that cared for us. We’re all his daughters, and he cares for us outside of basketball.”

Pike steps up for Briarcrest in 52-40 win over St. Benedict

By Jason Williams

Cordova, TN – When Briarcrest point guard Mark French picked up his second foul three minutes into the game, the Saints had to find another leader. Head coach John Harrington found him in his first sub off the bench with junior Adam Pike.

Pike steadied the offense for the rest of the first half and scored 12 points in the second half as Briarcrest (17-8, 3-1) pulled away from St. Benedict (10-12, 0-4) to claim a 52-40 victory.

“It was a great win for us because (French) has been our catalyst this year,” Harrington said. “Adam Pike stepped up and had a huge game for us.”

After teams traded runs in the third quarter, Pike hit a three from the left corner to increase the Saints’ lead to 38-33. He scored the Saints’ final nine points in the last four minutes of the game, including two big free throws.

“I just didn’t want to let my team down,” Pike said. “We weren’t shooting the ball well from the free throw line. I don’t know why because we’re a good shooting team, but I didn’t want to let my teammates down, so I knew I was going to hit those shots.”

Briarcrest was 6-of-16 from the free throw line.

Joey Magnifico generated most of St. Benedict’s offense through the first three quarters, scoring 22 of his team’s 33 points on an array of mid-range jump shots. But Magnifico went scoreless in the fourth quarter as the Saints’ defense limited his touches.

“We really didn’t do anything (differently),” Harrington said. “Gus (Gran) just did a great job defensively.”

Briarcrest sophomore Maceo Woodard was the game’s leading scorer with 14 points, but Harrington said his biggest impact was guarding Tyler Currie on the defensive end.

“I thought he did a great job defensively,” Harrington said. “I don’t care how many shots he was missing. He was going to stay in because he was guarding Currie.”

Box score:

Briarcrest (52): Maceo Woodard 14, Adam Pike 12, Micah Thomas 10, Mark French 9, Will Hrubes 4, Gus Gran 3

St. Benedict (40): Joey Magnifico 22, Tyler Currie 9, Ryne Dennis 4, Kyle Van Hoeck 3, A.J. Sturdivant 2

Other news and notes from tonight’s game:

Division II-AA West Region update:

T-1. Briarcrest (17-8, 3-1)*

T-1. CBHS (12-11, 3-1)

3. MUS (11-11, 2-2)

4. St. Benedict (10-12, 0-4)

* Briarcrest currently holds the tiebreaker over CBHS after its 52-46 victory on January 24.

Remaining regional games:

Briarcrest: 2/7 vs. MUS, 2/11 at CBHS

CBHS: 2/7 vs. St. Benedict, 2/11 vs. Briarcrest

MUS: 2/7 at Briarcrest, 2/11 vs. St. Benedict

St. Benedict: 2/7 at CBHS, 2/11 at MUS

Yarbrough leads Harding to double-OT win over Briarcrest

By Jason Williams

EADS, TN – Harding head coach Kevin Starks said he wasn’t sure if anyone could defend senior guard Reggie Anthony one-on-one, but with the his team tied against Briarcrest in double overtime, sophomore Anthony Yarbrough was the one who couldn’t be stopped.

Yarbrough finished with 27 points and scored back-to-back transition baskets in the closing minutes of double overtime to give Harding (14-8) a hard-fought victory over Briarcrest (15-8).

“It’s a team win,” said Yarbrough, a lefty with a soft touch from any spot on the court. “We came out here and executed and did what coach told us to do.”

Yarbrough credited his head coach for putting him in different positions to go one-on-one with whomever the Saints threw at him. He was his team’s primary weapon in the second half, scoring nine straight points in the third quarter and seven straight in the fourth. He made 12 shots on the night, including two three-pointers.

“When they were playing zone, I was able to pop out in the middle and go one-on-one,” Yarbrough said. “Coach Starks did a good job of calling different plays.”

“We do a lot of skill work with the basketball in practice,” Starks said. “I have some one-on-one guys. I have some guys that can go score, and Anthony and Reggie are two of the best we have that can go score the basketball.”

Briarcrest matched Harding’s super sophomore with their own sophomore, Micah Thomas, a 6-foot-7 guard. Thomas scored 26 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter and two overtime periods. He also finished with seven rebounds and four blocks.

“It’s good competition to see where my game is and compare it to other people,” Thomas said of the opportunity to go against another top underclassman.

Briarcrest point guard Mark French, another talented sophomore, is the Saints’ second-leading scorer on the season at 10.9 points per game but found himself scoreless heading into the fourth quarter.

With his team trailing by three with 30 seconds to go, French drove the length of the court for a lay-up to cut the Lions’ lead to one. Anthony responded with two free throws, and the Lions led 74-71 with 10 seconds on the clock, but French hit a step-back three-pointer with one second left to send the game to overtime.

After the teams traded baskets in the first overtime period, it was Yarbrough who wove through defenders in transition to put the Lions on top. Anthony hit two free throws to give the Lions a three-point cushion, but the Saints could not connect on multiple three-point attempts to tie.

“(Anthony) is just a leader,” Starks said. “When your best player is also your hardest worker, that makes things a lot easier for me. He is an extension of me out there on the court, and I also give him a lot of freedom.”

Anthony finished an impressive all-around performance with 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

Unofficial box score:

No.	BCS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
35	Micah Thomas*	26	7	2	4	4	0	11-21	2-10	2-3
21	Maceo Woodard*	14	7	2	4	2	2	4-11	1-4	5-5
4	Gus Gran*	13	10	1	4	0	2	5-8	0-0	3-3
20	Will Hrubes	8	5	0	2	0	0	3-6	2-4	0-0
10	Mark French*	7	1	4	2	0	0	2-5	1-3	2-2
11	Adam Pike	7	2	3	0	0	0	1-5	1-3	4-4
15	KeShun Pinkney*	5	1	3	2	0	0	1-2	1-2	2-2
2	Marc Wilhite	0	1	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
3	Isaiah Sampson	0	1	1	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
22	Emerick Lester	0	0	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
–	TEAM	–	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Totals		80	37	16	18	6	4	27-58	8-26	18-19

No.	HA Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
30	Anthony Yarbrough*	27	5	1	1	0	5	12-19	2-2	1-2
3	Reggie Anthony*	21	8	7	3	0	2	7-17	2-5	5-6
20	Will Gardner*	13	5	0	1	0	1	4-7	3-5	2-2
22	Scott Parham*	8	3	1	2	0	1	3-11	2-7	0-0
23	Troy West*	8	1	1	0	0	1	2-3	0-1	4-6
4	Brandon Lee	5	1	0	0	0	0	1-4	0-3	2-2
14	Jesse Adkins	1	3	2	0	0	0	0-3	0-0	1-2
2	Corliss Settles	0	2	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
–	TEAM	–	2	–	1	–	–	–	–	–
Totals		83	30	12	8	0	10	29-64	9-23	15-20

Group of sophomores lead Briarcrest past CBHS

By Jason Williams

EADS, TN – Briarcrest entered halftime against Christian Brothers on Friday trailing by three and struggling to keep the Purple Wave off the boards, but the Saints cranked up the intensity in the second half and turned the rivalry game into a full-court battle.

Led by a group of now-seasoned sophomores, the Saints (15-7, 2-1) rallied from a deficit to hand the Purple Wave (10-10, 2-1) its first loss of regional play with a 52-46 victory.

“I think we won all the hustle plays in the second half, which we hadn’t done all year,” said Briarcrest head coach John Harrington. “We did it on the defensive end.”

Briarcrest sophomore Micah Thomas exemplified the effort it took for the Saints to win in the fourth quarter when he blocked Harrison Deneka‘s three-point attempt on the left wing and saved the ball from going out of bounds. Thomas flipped the ball in-bounds to point guard Mark French, who wrestled the ball away from a defender and sprinted for a lay-up.

“Defense leads to offense,” said Thomas, a 6-foot-7 guard. “I tried to change the momentum of the game.”

French, a second-year starter at point guard for the Saints, led the way defensively with five steals to go along with 11 points on the offensive end. The Saints’ vocal leader only stands 5-foot-7, but his relentless energy and quick feet make him one of the best defenders in the region.

“I just try to be a pest,” French said. “I try to make things happen starting on defense and leading to offense.”

The unsung hero of the game was Maceo Woodard, who led all scorers with 14 points. However, it was his defense that earned praise from his head coach after the game.

“(Maceo) did a good job of guarding Josh Bougher,” Harrington said. “Maceo is long and has good athletic ability. He stayed on the ground and didn’t get Bougher to the free throw line. He didn’t shoot any free throws.”

Bougher finished with only six points on 3-of-15 shooting.

Shun Alexander led the Purple Wave with 14 points and five rebounds off the bench. Alexander was a key factor throughout the game on the offensive boards. Frederick Douglas also had 10 points and gave CBHS a one-point lead with 5:30 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“(Alexander) is tough,” Harrington said. “He’s a good player. He’s a tough match-up for anybody.”

But in the end, it was the group of Saints’ sophomores that ignited a 9-2 run to put the game out of reach, and now 22 games into the season, Harrington said his young team is morphing into an experienced team.

“In 22 games, you’re not a sophomore anymore; you’re a junior. They’re becoming older and wiser. They’ve played a lot of minutes, so they just have to get psychically stronger. That’s a big key for these sophomores.”

Unofficial box score:

No.	BCS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
21	Maceo Woodard*	14	4	1	4	0	0	6-9	1-2	1-1
4	Gus Gran*	11	4	4	1	0	2	5-8	1-1	0-0
35	Micah Thomas*	11	4	3	1	3	1	4-7	1-3	2-3
10	Mark French*	9	1	2	1	0	5	4-6	1-3	0-0
20	Will Hrubes	5	1	1	1	0	0	2-4	1-2	0-0
11	Adam Pike	2	0	1	2	0	0	1-3	0-2	0-0
2	Marc Wilhite	0	0	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
3	Isaiah Sampson	0	1	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
15	KeShun Pinkney*	0	2	3	2	0	1	0-0	0-0	0-0
–	TEAM	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Totals		52	18	15	12	3	9	22-37	5-13	3-4

No.	CBHS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
33	Shun Alexander	14	5	1	0	0	1	7-9	0-0	0-1
1	Frederick Douglas*	10	1	4	4	0	2	4-8	0-1	2-2
3	Harrison Deneka*	9	6	0	2	0	1	4-7	1-4	0-0
24	Josh Bougher*	6	3	1	3	0	0	3-15	0-5	0-0
10	Undra Wilson*	3	3	1	1	0	0	1-1	1-1	0-0
35	William Douglas	2	1	1	0	0	0	1-3	0-1	0-0
44	Brode McLaughlin*	2	3	0	1	1	0	1-6	0-0	0-0
15	Justin Lindner	0	0	1	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
–	TEAM	–	4	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Totals		46	26	9	11	1	4	21-49	2-12	2-3

Briarcrest ices Brighton at free throw line

By Jason Williams

Brighton, TN – Briarcrest head coach John Harrington called a timeout with his team clinging to a one-point lead with five minutes remaining against Brighton Tuesday night.

The Saints broke the huddle and finished with a 12-2 run to slowly pull away from the Cardinals and claim a 48-37 victory. All 12 points were scored from the free throw line.

“We only scored one basket in the fourth quarter,” Harrington said. “The free throws won the ball game for us.”

Briarcrest (14-7) only attempted 27 shots and committed 19 turnovers, but the Saints held the Cardinals to 32.6 percent (15-of-46) shooting and dominated the boards 36-20.

“Nineteen turnovers against a zone defense was horrible,” Harrington said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well. Early in the year if we didn’t shoot well, we’d have lost. We figured out a way to win. Defensively, we were pretty good tonight.”

Maceo Woodard led the Saints with 15 points and eight rebounds. He made all five of his field goal attempts. With leading scorer Micah Thomas struggling throughout the game, Woodard’s production helped the Saints gain a first-half lead.

“Micah was having a little struggle, so I had to step up rebounding,” said Woodard, a 6-foot-4 sophomore. “Coach was just telling me to play hard and everything would work out.”

“Maceo carried us in the first half,” Harrington said. “He played great. He had one bad play, and I took him out. I probably should have stuck him right back in there. That’s my fault, but he carried us tonight. He did a great job.”

Brighton was led by Tyvon Cooper with 12 points. Milton Hardy came off the bench to score eight points and pulled down six rebounds.

The Saints got big contributions from sophomore point guard Mark French. French finished with 14 points and made 8 of 10 free throws, all in the second half. Senior Gus Gran pulled down 11 rebounds. Sophomore Will Hrubes also finished with seven rebounds.

Junior guard Adam Pike scored nine points and added four rebounds and three assists. Pike has been the first player off the bench for much of the season, but his role has increased since senior guard Will Carter suffered a leg injury against MHEA on January 14.

Other news and notes from tonight’s game:

Brighton center Charles Mosley played sparingly in the first half and finished with one rebound in the second half. Mosley (6-foot-5, 350 pounds) has committed to the University of Tennessee to play football.

Unofficial box score:

No.	BCS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
21	Maceo Woodard*	15	8	0	5	0	0	5-5	0-0	5-6
10	Mark French*	14	3	1	2	0	2	2-6	2-5	8-10
11	Adam Pike	9	4	3	2	0	0	2-4	1-3	4-4
4	Gus Gran*	4	11	1	3	0	1	2-5	0-0	0-1
35	Micah Thomas*	4	2	0	4	3	2	0-4	0-4	4-4
20	Will Hrubes	2	7	1	1	0	0	1-3	0-2	0-0
2	Marc Wilhite	0	0	2	1	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-2
15	KeShun Pinkney*	0	0	1	1	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
–	TEAM	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Totals		48	36	9	19	3	5	12-27	3-14	21-27

No.	BHS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
2	Tyvon Cooper*	12	2	2	4	0	1	4-10	0-0	4-4
22	Milton Hardy	8	6	0	2	0	3	4-8	0-0	0-0
5	Tramaine Cooper*	7	0	2	1	0	2	3-8	1-4	0-0
11	Lorenzo Hunt*	5	3	1	0	0	0	2-7	0-0	1-2
33	Kolton Childress*	5	3	0	0	0	1	2-4	0-0	1-5
1	Bentley Jones	0	1	0	0	0	1	0-5	0-2	0-0
12	Charles Mosley	0	1	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
20	John Francis	0	0	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
32	Nathan Scarbrough*	0	0	0	0	0	0	0-1	0-0	0-0
35	Terriwayne White	0	2	0	0	0	0	0-3	0-0	0-0
–	TEAM	–	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Totals		37	20	5	7	0	8	15-46	1-6	6-11

MUS tops Briarcrest behind 6-foot-7 Nelson

By Jason Williams

Memphis, TN – Memphis University School possesses a roster with nine seniors, but sophomore David Nelson was the Owls’ leader in a 41-37 victory over Briarcrest at the Ross McCain Lynn Arena.

Nelson, a thick 6-foot-7 center, finished with 15 points and five rebounds to help give the Owls (10-10, 1-1) its first regional win of the season. Nelson was the key cog in the Owls’ third-quarter spurt with eight points.

“He’s become one of our go-to guys,” said MUS head coach Matt Bakke. “He’s really starting to play well. He’s getting better and better. You forget he’s only 15 years old, but he’s really starting to get confidence. He wants the ball, and he finished. We don’t win the game without him.”

Senior guard Chris Galvin, who suffered from flu-like symptoms throughout the week, only made one shot from the field, but he gathered his eighth and final rebound after Saints guard Gus Gran missed a potential game-tying lay-up with 10 seconds remaining.

“I came over on help-side,” Galvin said. “I was guarding the opposite block. I contested his shot and went up and grabbed the rebound.”

Galvin sealed the victory by hitting both free throws with six seconds left.

“I felt like I had to be more aggressive tonight,” Galvin said. “I’ve been under the weather this week, so I thought I could try to contribute in any way I could. Tonight, that was rebounding.”

With only four teams in the Division II-AA West Region, Bakke said winning at home is vital to success within the league.

“It was a tough ball game,” Bakke said. “That’s how our league is. It’s just tooth and nail every night. It’s hard to get baskets. I thought our guys showed a lot of poise to win the game.”

Briarcrest (12-7, 1-1) struggled offensively in the first half, making just three of 17 shots, but sophomores Mark French and Micah Thomas provided a spark in the second half.

Thomas scored all seven of his points during the third quarter. French scored all nine of his points in the second half, including four straight to cut the Owls’ lead to 38-37 with two minutes remaining.

Unofficial box score:

No.	BCS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
10	Mark French*	10	2	1	0	0	0	4-10	0-4	2-2
21	Maceo Woodard*	9	2	0	3	0	1	3-6	1-1	2-2
35	Micah Thomas*	7	2	0	3	1	0	3-7	1-5	0-0
20	Will Hrubes	5	5	1	0	0	1	2-7	1-3	0-0
4	Gus Gran*	4	10	2	2	0	1	2-8	0-1	0-0
15	KeShun Pinkney*	2	1	0	4	0	1	0-0	0-0	2-2
11	Adam Pike	0	0	1	0	0	1	0-2	0-1	0-0
–	TEAM	–	3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Totals		37	25	5	12	1	5	14-40	3-15	6-6

No.	MUS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
35	David Nelson*	15	5	0	0	2	0	6-9	0-0	3-5
4	Chris Galvin*	7	8	0	3	0	1	1-9	0-1	5-6
3	Bailey Buford*	5	4	1	2	0	2	2-5	1-4	0-0
10	Sam Fowlkes	5	0	2	1	0	1	2-4	1-2	0-0
33	James Prather	4	2	2	2	0	0	2-2	0-0	0-0
45	Preston White	4	1	0	0	0	1	1-3	0-0	2-3
1	Michael Baker*	1	6	2	3	0	1	0-2	0-0	1-2
2	David Blakenship	0	1	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
15	Owen Galvin	0	0	0	0	0	0	0-1	0-0	0-0
23	Andrew Counce*	0	1	0	2	0	0	0-3	0-1	0-0
–	TEAM	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Totals		41	29	7	13	2	6	14-38	2-8	11-16

French secures Briarcrest victory at free throw line

By Jason Williams

EADS, TN – Mark French found himself in a familiar position for Briarcrest late in its game against Millington Central Saturday.

French made six of seven free throws in the closing two minutes to secure a 65-55 victory for the Saints (11-6). The Trojans (6-9) stayed in the game with five three-pointers in the fourth quarter, but the sophomore point guard kept his poise and ended any hopes of a comeback at the free throw line.

“We talked about it at the end of the game,” said Briarcrest head coach John Harrington. “We shot 13-for-16 tonight (at the free throw line) … French is really good. He’s quick. He’s hard to keep the ball out of his hands. We think late in the game, we can win with him at the line.”

French is shooting close to 90 percent from the free throw line this season, according to Harrington. Having been in the same situation multiple times this season, French is becoming increasingly comfortable at the free throw line late in the game.

“It’s just getting extra free throws in after practice and just being in that situation before,” said French, who finished with 16 points. “You get used to it after a little while. It just comes second nature.”

Saints forward Micah Thomas tied for the team-high with 16 points and also contributed eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks. The 6-foot-7 sophomore was primarily a spot-up shooter at the beginning of the season, but he has recently focused his efforts on driving to the basket. Thomas made all six of his shots inside the three-point line including three dunks.

“(Thomas) usually makes a lot of threes,” Harrington said. “He only made one tonight. He made some aggressive moves to the basket tonight. He’s getting better inside. For a sophomore, 16 points and eight rebounds and a few assists, that’s a pretty good game. He’s staying on the floor longer because his defense is getting better and better.”

“I’ve worked on my inside game a little more so I know I can knock down threes when I need to,” Thomas said.

Gus Gran finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and four assists for the Saints, who outrebounded the Trojans 37-23. Adam Pike also added 10 points.

Millington Central’s Jordan Browning led all scorers with 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting including 3-of-9 from three. Julian Daughtry scored 12 points while Roddarius Pitts added 11. Pitts scored the Trojans’ first eight points of the fourth quarter to cut the Saints’ lead to five points.

Briarcrest responded to Pitts’ scoring outburst with a 10-3 run to put the game out of Millington Central’s reach. The game ended with a left-handed dunk on a fast break from Thomas.

Unofficial box score:

No.	BCS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
10	Mark French*	16	3	0	1	0	1	4-9	2-6	6-7
35	Micah Thomas*	16	8	4	1	2	0	7-11	1-4	1-1
4	Gus Gran*	11	13	4	2	1	0	4-8	1-1	2-3
11	Adam Pike	10	1	2	2	0	2	4-10	2-4	0-0
21	Maceo Woodard*	5	6	1	2	0	1	1-6	0-2	3-4
20	Will Hrubes	4	3	1	1	0	0	2-4	0-1	0-0
15	KeShun Pinkney*	3	0	2	2	0	1	1-1	1-1	0-0
32	Will Carter	0	0	1	0	0	0	0-1	0-1	0-0
–	TEAM	–	3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	TOTALS	65	37	15	11	3	5	23-50	7-20	12-15

No.	MCHS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
30	Jordan Browning*	19	6	1	1	0	0	6-15	3-9	4-4
3	Julian Daughtry*	12	6	0	1	0	0	5-11	2-3	0-1
5	Roddarius Pitts*	11	1	2	2	0	1	4-11	2-6	1-2
1	Devynn Brandon*	6	3	0	1	0	1	3-5	0-1	0-0
23	Lakeron Garcia*	3	0	4	1	0	1	1-4	1-2	0-0
12	Devontae Winston	2	0	0	1	0	0	1-1	0-0	0-0
32	Kelvin Jones	2	2	0	1	0	0	1-1	0-0	0-0
22	Denarius Curry	0	0	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
24	Andrew Banks	0	1	0	0	0	0	0-1	0-1	0-0
33	George Anderson	0	1	0	0	0	1	0-0	0-0	0-0
44	Nick Hunt	0	2	0	0	0	0	0-2	0-0	0-0
	TEAM	–	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	TOTALS	55	23	7	8	0	4	21-51	8-22	5-7

Pike fuels Briarcrest to 51-49 win over St. Benedict

By Jason Williams

Eads, TN – Despite a solid shooting performance, Briarcrest spent much of Friday night trying to figure out how to attack St. Benedict’s defense. The Saints only attempted 26 shots, making 16 of them, during the 32-minute bout against the Eagles, but it was key free-throw shooting that ultimately sealed a 51-49 victory at Rowell Arena.

“They’re a patient defense,” said Briarcrest head coach John Harrington. “They give you a lot of looks, but you’re not really open. We told (our players) that you’re going to have some things that you think are open, but you’re really not going to be open, so just be patient. We were patient.”

Briarcrest (10-6 overall, 1-0 Div. II-AA West) made nine of 11 free throws in the fourth quarter to keep a lead against St. Benedict (7-7, 0-1).

“(We) made some free throws down the stretch,” Harrington said. “Gus (Gran) made two big ones. Mark (French) made four, and Adam (Pike) made one. We did a good job executing late in the game.”

The Eagles outrebounded the Saints by 11 and attempted 18 more field goals (18-of-44), but a dismal performance from the free throw line prevented St. Benedict from overcoming Briarcrest’s slim lead. The Eagles made only 10 of 21 free throws, including 4 of 8 in the fourth quarter.

The Saints went into the fourth quarter with a two-point lead, but the Eagles started the final quarter on a 4-0 run after baskets from Joey Magnifico and Ryne Dennis.

On the next two possessions, Briarcrest guard Adam Pike broke out of a slump by hitting two free throws and a three-pointer that gave the Saints a 44-41 lead.

“We had good ball movement,” Pike said. “I threw it to the corner, and I went back out to the other corner. Gus Gran set me a good screen, and I hit the shot. It was a good pass from (Micah Thomas).”

Pike opened the season by scoring double-figures in his first four games, including 22 points against FCA on Nov. 12. Since a strong November, Pike had been mired in a shooting slump. His nine points Friday were his most since scoring 19 points against East on Nov. 23.

“It feels good to be back,” Pike said. “My teammates were behind me. My coach kept telling me to keep shooting it, so that’s what I did.”

“Adam is one of our best, if not our best shooter,” Harrington said. “He’s just been in a slump. Sometimes when you aren’t shooting it well, it affects the rest of your game. But we stayed with him. He’s been the first sub off the bench. At halftime, I looked at him and said, ‘if you don’t shoot the ball, you’re not going to play.’ We ran a couple plays early to get him some shots, and he knocked them down.”

Pike’s most impressive series of plays didn’t center around his shooting though. Pike bodied up against Dennis in the paint, forcing a poor shot attempt. Moments later, with under 20 seconds remaining, Pike received an outlet pass from Will Hrubes. Instead of pushing the ball ahead for an open lay-up, Pike pulled the ball back out and allowed a few extra seconds to tick off the clock.

“I could have gotten us a lay-up, but I knew there was only 20 seconds left,” Pike said. “I heard the bench scream to pull it out, so that’s what I did.”

Dennis led all scorers with 11 points. Tyler Currie and A.J. Sturdivant also had 10 points for the Eagles.

Other notes from tonight’s game:

Perfect shooting: Briarcrest was a perfect 6-for-6 shooting in the first quarter, including 3-of-3 beyond the arc. The Saints’ first miss of the night was a three-point attempt by Mark French with 7:27 remaining in the second quarter. The Saints were 11-of-14 (78.6 percent) and 16-of-26 (61.5 percent) for the game.

Division 2-AA West Region outlook: “This whole region is going to be like this every night,” Harrington said. “There’s four good teams, and everybody is about the same. You’ve got to protect the home court.”

Unofficial box scores:

No.	BCS Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
10	Mark French*	10	1	2	1	0	2	2-3	0-1	6-7
35	Micah Thomas*	10	4	3	4	4	0	3-5	2-3	2-4
11	Adam Pike	9	0	0	0	0	0	2-2	2-2	3-4
21	Maceo Woodard*	7	4	3	2	1	2	3-5	1-1	0-2
4	Gus Gran*	6	2	1	2	0	0	2-5	0-2	2-3
15	KeShun Pinkney*	5	2	1	3	0	1	2-2	1-1	0-0
20	Will Hrubes	4	3	0	1	0	1	2-4	0-2	0-0
2	Marc Wilhite	0	0	0	0	1	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
32	Will Carter	0	2	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
Totals		51	18	10	13	6	6	16-26	6-12	13-20

No.	SBA Player	Pts.	Reb.	Ast.	TO	Blk.	Stl.	FG	3P	FT
11	Ryne Dennis*	11	3	0	0	0	0	5-8	1-2	0-0
5	Tyler Currie*	10	5	2	3	1	2	3-7	0-1	4-8
21	A.J. Sturdivant*	10	3	1	2	0	3	3-9	0-3	4-9
3	Joey Magnifico*	7	5	0	3	0	0	3-10	1-5	0-0
2	Hunter Story	6	7	0	0	0	0	2-4	0-1	2-4
15	Kyle Van Hoeck*	5	0	0	1	0	1	2-3	1-1	0-0
1	Michael Bardos	0	2	0	2	0	0	0-1	0-1	0-0
10	Alex Rittman	0	1	0	0	0	0	0-2	0-0	0-0
14	Josh Kleber	0	0	0	0	0	0	0-0	0-0	0-0
–	TEAM	–	3	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Totals		49	29	3	11	1	6	18-44	3-14	10-21