Ensworth races past MUS for fourth straight title

Ensworth joined Brentwood Academy as the only schools to win four consecutive state championships.

By Jason Williams

Nashville, TN – To win his fourth consecutive state championship, Ensworth head coach Ricky Bowers knew his team would have to quit playing at Memphis University School’s pace.

So he told his team to just go. His team responded by pushing the ball up the floor before MUS could set up its defense. The Tigers applied full-court pressure to speed up a methodical MUS offense and ran away with a 57-46 victory and claim the BlueCross Division II-AA Boys State Championship.

“They played a big, wide Syracuse kind of zone,” Bowers said. “We got a little stymied and stagnant … In the second half, we talked about if they score, let’s go. If we don’t score, let’s pick up as opposed to getting back.”

The frantic pace allowed the Tigers to get to the basket, draw fouls and win the game from the free throw line. Ensworth finished 26-of-37 from the stripe.

“We got to the free throw line a lot,” Bowers said. “I think that really was the difference in the game. Now we can set our defense. Now we can determine pace of play. And we made our free throws.”

With the victory, Ensworth joins Brentwood Academy as the only schools in Tennessee history to win four straight titles. The Eagles accomplished the task from 2003-2006 behind future NBA lottery pick Brandan Wright.

While the program has had a winning tradition for four years, Bowers said this team did not show it had what it takes until four weeks ago.

“They decided they were going to play hard,” Bowers said. “They were really committed to each other. We quit talking about basketball stuff and started talking more about team stuff, about being a good teammate and being respectful and caring for other people. I think that was really as important as anything. We took out the selfishness. We started doing what we had to do to win, which is a byproduct of all the good stuff.”

Andrew Fleming (22) finished 16-of-22 from the free throw line. Fleming was named state tournament MVP and Mr. Basketball.

Junior Andrew Fleming led all scorers with 26 points, including 16-of-22 from the free throw line. Fleming became the first player in Division II-AA to win state championship MVP and Mr. Basketball in the same season since the leagues split in 2007.

Despite all the history made, Fleming and his team were just focused on winning today’s game.

“It feels great,” Fleming said. “I think we’re just trying to do what we do. We’re not really worried about the history part, but we’re definitely fortunate. We’re happy to win the game.”

Senior guard Chris Galvin led MUS with 16 points. Galvin helped give the Owls an early lead in the second half with a coast-to-coast lay-up, followed by another lay-up from David Nelson. But on the ensuing possession, Galvin landed on an opponent’s foot trying to grab a rebound and fell to the ground.

Galvin limped off the floor and got his ankle taped, but without its leader, MUS struggled against Ensworth’s pressure and could not regain a rhythm offensively.

2014 Division II-AA Boys All-Tournament Team:

Andrew Fleming (MVP) – Ensworth

Jordan Bone – Ensworth

D’Andre Ferby – Ensworth

Bailey Buford – MUS

Chris Galvin – MUS

David Nelson – MUS

Brode McLaughlin – Christian Brothers

Ensworth advances to fourth straight state title game

By Jason Williams

Nashville, TN – With Ensworth being only one victory away from becoming the second team in TSSAA history to win four consecutive state titles, Andrew Fleming is concentrating on his current team’s chance at a state title rather than his program’s chance at history.

Ensworth (18-11) overcame an early deficit to defeat CBHS (17-12) to advance to its fifth overall state championship game in school history.

“I don’t think we’re really focused on being part of the history,” Fleming said. “We’re just focused on winning our state championships and doing our own thing here. We believe in our coaches’ systems and what we’re going to do to win, so we’re excited.”

While most attention was focused on Fleming, it was D’Andre Ferby and Jordan Bone who brought the Tigers from a nine-point deficit in the first quarter.

Mr. Basketball finalist Andrew Fleming (22) struggled early but was key in the Tigers’ 23-9 advantage in the fourth quarter. Photo by Karlee Wakeley.

Ferby finished with 18 points and eight rebounds; Bone added 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

“I think everyone contributed today,” said Ensworth head coach Ricky Bowers. “You’re only as good as the people you practice with, quite frankly. And we’ve had a really good week of practice. All the kids have played hard and been enthusiastic and are giving us good looks. I think we’ve gotten better.”

Ensworth held CBHS guard Josh Bougher, another Mr. Basketball finalist, to four points on 2-of-10 shooting. Ensworth’s game plan defensively was to force Bougher into tough shots, but Bougher said he just wasn’t hitting his shots.

“They didn’t do anything,” Bougher said. “I was getting my shots whenever I wanted. It was just one of those days where you’re not making shots. They weren’t doing anything special. I was just missing shots.”

CBHS also struggled from the free throw line, finishing 10-of-22.

“(Ensworth was) great from the line,” said CBHS head coach Bubba Luckett. “We weren’t. And in close games, even though I think that game was a lot closer that the final score, you gotta knock free throws down.”

CBHS jumped out to a 17-8 lead in the first quarter, but Ensworth was able to throw fresh defenders at the Purple Wave by subbing five players at a time.

“We made some shots, but I thought it was more of our pressure,” Bowers said of his team’s second-quarter comeback. “I thought our defensive intensity picked up tremendously.”

Harrison Deneka led the Purple Wave with 17 points. Brode McLaughlin kept his team in the game in the third quarter and finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Ensworth will play MUS at 7 p.m. Saturday in Allen Arena.