Tigers take down top ranked Laney ........again
By: TROUP BRINSON
THE FOREST BLADE
The Swainsboro Tigers boys basketball team has certainly been up to the task when facing the best. If not for the Tigers, the Laney Wildcats would be perfect. Instead, the Wildcats are 18-2 though still ranked at #3 in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution’s basketball poll even after the Tigers won an exciting 79-74 contest last Tuesday night in the Tiger’s Den. Perhaps buoyed by those two performances, the 11-8 Tigers are now making their first appearance in that poll at the #8 position.
It was not an easy task to keep pace with the Wildcats. On several occasions, it looked as if the top scoring team in the region at 75 points per game would pull away as they seemed able to keep the Tigers at arm’s length all night. Yet each time the Wildcats stretched their lead, the Tigers scrapped their way back into a one possession game. The Tigers’ half court heave fell short as the half time buzzer sounded with Laney clinging to a one point lead, 33-32.
Swainsboro was able to keep the game within striking distance as Lynquez Blair, Malcolm Eady, Armani Moore, and Devin Leach took turns making spectacular plays in the 4th quarter. Leach made 4 three pointers on the night en route to a team high 21 points. His two bombs from long distance inside of 5 minutes to play put Swainsboro in position to pull off the upset. Eady made two free throws with 90 seconds on the clock to give Swainsboro the lead, yet it was a lay up from Rickey Adams with 20 seconds remaining that proved to be the winning bucket. A frazzled and frustrated Laney squad committed a technical foul to punctuate a night in frustration for the visitors as free throws provided the final margin of victory. Blair added 17 points and Moore chipped in 16 for the Tigers.
Head Coach Leroy Jordan didn’t know how to explain his teams’ success against the powerful Laney team:
“It’s hard to understand (being 2-0 against Laney),†said Jordan. “We just do a good job of hanging in there and finishing it at the end against them.â€
The trouble for this Swainsboro team has been in maintaining that same intensity and focus against the weaker teams in 3 AA. That problem again reared its ugly head on Friday night as the Tigers dropped their first sub region game of the year to Jefferson County, 62-58. The Warriors have struggled mightily on the hard court this season and the loss was frustrating.
“This group is very talented, but very young,†said Jordan. “They don’t have the varsity experience that I would have liked for a team at this point in the season. Sometimes you get the good and the bad (when playing with youth).â€
Guards Eady (senior) and Blair (junior) are the only players with more than one year of varsity time.
“Malcolm and Lynquez need to show more leadership as we go into the playoffs,†explained Jordan. “They are the experience on the floor for us.â€
On Saturday night, the Tigers hosted the Vidalia Indians. Vidalia has spent much of the season inside of the top 10 until a recent swoon threatened to derail a strong season.
Yet it was the Tiger’s uneven play that again seemed the story of the game. The Tigers lead 15-12 early in the first half before turnovers and lack of execution fueled the Indians on a 17-0 run as they knocked down 5 three pointers. Swainsboro trailed 29-18 at the halftime break.
However, those final 3 points of the 2nd quarter were a sign of things to come. Credit a stifling defense that created turnovers and easy baskets for Swainsboro as they outscored the Indians 26-6 in the 3rd quarter and came away with a 57-48 victory on the evening.
Swainsboro will play at Southeast Bulloch on Tuesday before coming home to host Bleckley County on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. A win Tuesday night will wrap up the top spot on side A of region 3 AA.
It was not an easy task to keep pace with the Wildcats. On several occasions, it looked as if the top scoring team in the region at 75 points per game would pull away as they seemed able to keep the Tigers at arm’s length all night. Yet each time the Wildcats stretched their lead, the Tigers scrapped their way back into a one possession game. The Tigers’ half court heave fell short as the half time buzzer sounded with Laney clinging to a one point lead, 33-32.
Swainsboro was able to keep the game within striking distance as Lynquez Blair, Malcolm Eady, Armani Moore, and Devin Leach took turns making spectacular plays in the 4th quarter. Leach made 4 three pointers on the night en route to a team high 21 points. His two bombs from long distance inside of 5 minutes to play put Swainsboro in position to pull off the upset. Eady made two free throws with 90 seconds on the clock to give Swainsboro the lead, yet it was a lay up from Rickey Adams with 20 seconds remaining that proved to be the winning bucket. A frazzled and frustrated Laney squad committed a technical foul to punctuate a night in frustration for the visitors as free throws provided the final margin of victory. Blair added 17 points and Moore chipped in 16 for the Tigers.
Head Coach Leroy Jordan didn’t know how to explain his teams’ success against the powerful Laney team:
“It’s hard to understand (being 2-0 against Laney),†said Jordan. “We just do a good job of hanging in there and finishing it at the end against them.â€
The trouble for this Swainsboro team has been in maintaining that same intensity and focus against the weaker teams in 3 AA. That problem again reared its ugly head on Friday night as the Tigers dropped their first sub region game of the year to Jefferson County, 62-58. The Warriors have struggled mightily on the hard court this season and the loss was frustrating.
“This group is very talented, but very young,†said Jordan. “They don’t have the varsity experience that I would have liked for a team at this point in the season. Sometimes you get the good and the bad (when playing with youth).â€
Guards Eady (senior) and Blair (junior) are the only players with more than one year of varsity time.
“Malcolm and Lynquez need to show more leadership as we go into the playoffs,†explained Jordan. “They are the experience on the floor for us.â€
On Saturday night, the Tigers hosted the Vidalia Indians. Vidalia has spent much of the season inside of the top 10 until a recent swoon threatened to derail a strong season.
Yet it was the Tiger’s uneven play that again seemed the story of the game. The Tigers lead 15-12 early in the first half before turnovers and lack of execution fueled the Indians on a 17-0 run as they knocked down 5 three pointers. Swainsboro trailed 29-18 at the halftime break.
However, those final 3 points of the 2nd quarter were a sign of things to come. Credit a stifling defense that created turnovers and easy baskets for Swainsboro as they outscored the Indians 26-6 in the 3rd quarter and came away with a 57-48 victory on the evening.
Swainsboro will play at Southeast Bulloch on Tuesday before coming home to host Bleckley County on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. A win Tuesday night will wrap up the top spot on side A of region 3 AA.
