SB/MOPWC: Eagles hold off Gators

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on January 1, 2016 1:48 PM

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By BRANDON DAVIS

bdavis@newsargus.com

MOUNT OLIVE -- Rosewood head basketball coach Daniel Mitchell had a man-to-man conversation with his players at halftime.

Literally.

The Eagles halted Spring Creek' first-half shooting from the perimeter and claimed a 62-59 victory in the seventh-place game of the Southern Bank/Mount Olive Pickle Winter Classic at the University of Mount Olive on Wednesday evening.

"That was definitely a point of emphasis at halftime, to close out the (Spring Creek) shooters," Mitchell said. "'Don't give up anymore open 3s. Don't give up any uncontested 3-pointers'."

The Gators made eight 3s in the first half.

SC's freshman Landon Smothers assisted junior Najee Young with a 3 in the opening minutes of the game. Senior Jamerion Dawson grabbed a rebound and assisted fellow senior Will Rouse with the second 3, and the Gators ended the first quarter with a 21-20 lead over the Eagles.

Smothers passed the ball to senior DeVante Williams for another 3-pointer, and sophomore Tahj Edwards launched the ball to Williams for a 3-point dagger before the end of the second quarter.

SC led 37-32 at halftime.

Rosewood senior Zack Barnes passed the ball to senior Ethan Chapin, who assisted sophomore Tucker Chapin with a layup to start the second half.

Senior Marquial Almontaser drove to the basket for a layup. Barnes assisted sophomore Chance Howard on a field goal, and Almontaser passed to Barnes for another basket.

Barnes scored the next four points -- all free throws after drawing a foul and getting two more shots after the Gators' bench received a technical foul.

Rosewood led 47-46 after three periods.

Williams assisted Young with a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter, and Young threw the ball to Smothers for the Gators' last 3 with four minutes left in regulation.

Junior Noah Grantham drove in the lane for a 2-point floater for the Eagles, and he sank two free throws to end the game.

Barnes, who was selected to the all-tournament second team, scored 19 points. Ethan Chapin had 12 points, and Tucker Chapin had nine points. Almontaser added 12 points as well.

A second-team all-tournament pick, Young recorded 19 points for the Gators. Smothers had 14 points, and Rouse added 11 points.

"It's the first game we had this year where, as a group, we shot the ball well," SC head coach Taylor Jones said. "We're gonna keep taking our shots because that is what we do well.

"Daniel made an adjustment. Instead of staying in the zone, he went man-to-man. He was trying to take us out of hitting our shots."