Photos by Penny Lomenick
Celebrating a championship as the clock winds down Saturday night are Jacob Gadd, head coach Sam Pearson, Kyler Moncrief, Peyton Taylor, Cordarius Thomas and Zach Sorrell.
Photos by Penny Lomenick
Boyce McKinney (second from left) and three Delta Academy players pursue the basketball.
Eli Pearson shoots a three versus Delta in the semi-finals.
Twice as nice
Marshall Academy had lost to Columbus Christian by 12 and 17 points in the regular season but turned the tide come playoff time.
The Patriots, executing a game plan to perfection, stunned the Rams 52-35 Saturday night and claimed the North AA Basketball Tournament championship trophy at Delta Academy in Marks.
“Our plan was to be methodical, be patient, and we executed that as good as we possibly could,” said a happy head coach Sam Pearson. “Because of our patience, we were able to get some easy baskets.”
And the defense wasn’t bad either – holding a typically high-scoring Columbus Christian team to just 35 points.
“It all came together for us,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud. It was a tremendous team effort.”
MA would not trail again after falling behind 10-9 with 1:29 to go in the first quarter.
Rahmon Rutherford scored on a putback, and Drayton Potts added a three. The Pats were up 14-12 at the end of the first.
Rutherford began the second period by sinking another three, and Everette Jones closed it by hitting a jump shot in the lane. It was 22-15 at halftime.
Peyton Taylor’s three-point play the old-fashioned way – two-point basket and free throw – upped the lead to 10 early in the third. The margin stayed at or around double digits throughout the quarter. Eli Pearson’s three from the corner put the Pats on top 36-25 going to the fourth.
MA was up 40-27 down the stetch when it sank six free throws, thanks to a foul followed by two technicals on the Rams. Jacob Gadd hit two and Taylor four.
That sealed the deal for the Patriots as they won by 17.
Rutherford was the top gun with 18 points, followed by Taylor with 14 and Jones with 10.
Semi-finals
The Marshall boys rode the scoring of Rutherford and Gadd to a 75-49 rout of the host school, Delta, in the semi-finals Friday night.
The two combined for 48 points – Rutherford 26 and Gadd 22.
Rutherford’s putback just before the first-quarter horn gave the Patriots a 20-8 lead.
Potts, Rutherford and Pearson began the second quarter with consecutive threes. It was 29-14.
MA finished the first half with fast-break buckets from Rutherford and Gadd to make the advantage 18 points (43-24).
The Pats were on cruise control the rest of the way, leading 58-39 at the end of the third and winning by 26.
Round one
The Marshall boys bombed Winona Christian 70-24 on Tuesday of last week to advance.
The game was tied at 7 with 4:30 to go in the first quarter. Then the Patriots outscored the Stars 28-7 the rest of the first half to take a commanding 35-14 halftime lead.
Taylor scored all 16 of his points in the first half, while Pearson nailed a couple of threes in the second quarter and finished the game with 15 points. Kyler Moncrief added 14 points and Gadd 13 in the 46-point victory.
On to state
The Patriots (14-16) open play in the Class AA State Tournament at Winona Christian on Wednesday of this week at 7:45 p.m. versus Union Christian.
With a win, they will play in the semi-finals Friday at 6 p.m.
The consolation and championship games are Saturday at 6 and 7:15 p.m., respectively.