Young lifts Cubs past Saks
- Updated: December 23, 2014
Sophomore guard gives Alexandria big spark in Whitaker Classic title game
By East Alabama Sports Today
GADSDEN – Alexandria jumped on top of fourth-ranked Saks early Tuesday night and stayed there most of the night on the way to a 71-62 victory in the championship game of the Riley Whitaker Classic at Gadsden State.
The Valley Cubs (10-2) enjoyed a balanced scoring attack with four players in double figures, but Caleb Young provided the biggest spark.
Playing for the ailing Luke Tucker, Young scored 18 points, including 13 in the third quarter when the Cubs pulled away. The sophomore guard hit three 3-pointers in the quarter. Tucker tested positive for mononucleosis and could be out up to six weeks.
Tyrelle Gay, Alton Davis and Dakota Kelley scored 12 apiece for the Cubs. Gay had nine in the fourth quarter, including four of five from the free throw line, and was named tournament MVP.
“We really did shoot the ball well and … were able to close out a close game,” Alexandria coach Jason Johnson said. “They’re a very good ball club. They’ve got three really good scorers. I was kind of worried, but it was a good test for us and this time we came out on top.”
The Valley Cubs led 11-7 after the first quarter, 27-25 at halftime (on Kelley’s 3-pointer) and 48-39 going into the fourth.
Saks scored the first points of the second half to tie the game at 27, but then Alexandria scored the next seven points and never trailed again. Saks did draw within 59-53 with 3:36 to play.
“They just made a little run in the third quarter where they just played tougher than we did and from that point on we basically traded baskets,” Saks coach Jonathan Miller said. “We took the first bad shot we could find offensively; right now, that’s our issue.
“We can’t be a good team right now until we, number one, take better shots and, number two, get a little bit tougher on defense.”
The Wildcats got scoring from only six players. Darion Coleman led all scorers with 22 points and Quen Williams had 17. The Wildcats hit nine 3-pointers in the game.
In the tournament consolation game, Weaver defeated Glencoe 76-69.
Westbrook Christian 67, Jacksonville 65 (OT)
GADSDEN – Jacksonville came from 11 down in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but couldn’t get off a final shot in the extra period to extend the game.
The Golden Eagles trailed 47-36 entering the fourth, but turned up the pressure. Sid Thurmond tied the game at 58 on a 3-pointer with five seconds left – his only field goal in 16 shots – and Rivan Hill blocked a shot to keep it that way.
Thurmond hit two free throws with nine seconds left in overtime to get Jacksonville within one, 66-65, Westbrook hit the second of two free throws to make it a two-point game, but the Golden Eagles lost a chance at the tying bucket when Cam Horton lost the ball.
Horton led all scorers with 23 points. Taye Ackles had 14 and Savon Parker added 10. Kyle Leonard led three Westbrook scorers in double figures with 22. Emil Smith and Chandler Richards had 13 each.
Ohatchee 40, West End 32 (OT)
HOKES BLUFF – The Indians closed overtime with an 8-0 run to win their opener in the consolation game of the Hokes Bluff Christmas Tournament. Micah Lee led the Indians with 13 points, including a key three-point play in the overtime run. Austin Tucker added 10.
The win sends the Indians into Christmas on a high note. They won three times in five games since last Monday.
GIRLS GAMES
Anniston 52, Talladega 38
FORT PAYNE – Raven Cooley and Kiyana Bullock had big games as Anniston won in the Wills Valley Shootout.
Cooley had a game-high 16 points, five steals and two assists, while Bullock had 13 points, six rebounds and three steals. Davia Palmer had seven points, three steals and three assists, while Carsheuna Curry had seven points and nine rebounds.
BOYS BOX SCORES
Westbrook Christian 67, Jacksonville 65 (OT)
JACKSONVILLE — Cam Horton 9-22 3-4 23, Taye Ackles 5-7 1-2 14, Savon Parker 5-5 0-0 10, Sid Thurmond 1-16 4-4 7, Rivan Hill 2-6 0-0 4, Aaron Bragg 1-1 0-0 3, Ben Jaskowski 1-1 0-0 2, Tristan Yates 1-2 0-0 2, K.J. Satcher 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-60 8-10 65.
WESTBROOK CHRISTIAN — Kyle Leonard 8-17 5-8 22, Emil Smith 6-9 0-1 13, Chandler Richards 5-6 3-4 13, Wil Appleton 3-3 0-0 6, Will Jones 1-3 3-4 5, Cameron Migliore 1-4 0-0 3, Boo Shirley 1-1 0-0 3, Kyle Edwards 1-1 0-0 2, Jordan Kilgo 0-0 0-0 0, Braden Beecham 0-0 0-0 0, Gilbert Rosas 0-0 0-0 0, Tyler Self 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-45 11-17 67.
Jacksonville 11 13 12 22 7 — 65
Westbrook Christian 12 14 21 11 9 — 67
3-point goals: Jacksonville 7-22 (Horton 2-9, Ackles 3-5, Thurmond 1-7, Bragg 1-1); Westbrook 4-9 (Leonard 1-3, Smith 1-1, Jones 0-1, Migliore 1-3, Shirley 1-1). Rebounds: Jacksonville 25 (Horton 9); Westbrook 33 (Leonard 10). Total fouls: Jacksonville 17, Westbrook 15.
Alexandria 71, Saks 62
ALEXANDRIA (10-2) — Chance Williams 0 0-0 0, Austin Wells 1 2-2 4, Nick Porter 2 0-0 5, Riley Shaw 1 0-0 2, Alton Davis 5 2-2 12, Tyrelle Gay 3 5-8 12, Caleb Young 7 1-2 18, Ronnie Royal 3 0-0 6, Marcus Swink 0 0-0 0, Dakota Kelley 4 2-3 12. Totals 26 12-17 71.
SAKS — Makel Taylor 3 2-4 9, Darion Coleman 8 2-6 22, Devin Harris 0 0-0 0, Quin Smith 1 0-0 2, Monty Young 5 0-0 10, Quen Williams 5 3-5 17, Demetrius Powell 0 2-2 2. Totals 22 9-17 62.
Alexandria 11 16 21 23 — 71
Saks 7 18 14 23 — 62
3-point goals: Alexandria (Porter, Gay, Young 3, Kelley 2); Saks 9 (Taylor, Coleman 4, Williams 4). Total fouls: Alexandria 16, Saks 16. Fouled out: Williams.
UPCOMING HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS
DWIGHT MADISON CLASSIC
Montgomery
Friday’s Game
Sacred Heart vs. Southside Selma, 12:30 p.m.
HILTON SANDESTIN BEACH BLOWOUT
At Freeport (Fla.) High School
Saturday’s Games
Bayside (AL) vs. St. Benedict (TN), 9 a.m.
Pleasant Grove (AL) vs. Wesley Christian (KY), 10:30 a.m.
Ponce de Leon (FL) vs. South Walton (FL), noon
Cookeville (TN) vs. St. Paul’s (AL), 1:30 p.m.
Fort Dale (AL) vs. Freeport (FL), 3 p.m.
Maclay (FL) vs. Sneads (FL), 4:30 p.m.
Paxton (FL) vs. White Plains, 6 p.m.
Holy Innocents (GA) vs. Buckhorn (KY), 7:30 p.m.
ALBERTVILLE CIVITAN CHRISTMAS CLASSIC
Friday’s Games
Etowah vs. Westminster Christian, 10 a.m.
Pinson Valley vs. East Limestone, 11:30 a.m.
Guntersville vs. Fort Payne, 1 p.m.
Minor vs. Hewitt-Trussville, 2:30 p.m.
Catholic vs. Geraldine, 4 p.m.
Douglas vs. Arab, 5:30 p.m.
Albertville vs. Holy Family, 7 p.m.
ACA vs. Cherokee County, 8:30 p.m.
CLEBURNE COUNTY HOLIDAY INVITATIONAL
Saturday’s Games
Faith Christian girls vs. Ohatchee, 9:30 a.m.
Clay Central boys vs. Faith Christian, 11 a.m.
Ranburne girls vs. Vincent, 12:30 p.m.
Saks boys vs. Ranburne, 2 p.m.
Pleasant Valley girls vs. Randolph County, 3:30 p.m.
Pleasant Valley boys vs. Randolph County, 5 p.m.
Cleburne County girls vs. Clay Central, 6:30 p.m.
Cleburne County boys vs. Ohatchee, 8 p.m.
HILBURN-PATTERSON HARALSON COUNTY INVITATIONAL
Saturday’s Games
Pepperell girls vs. Heard County, 10 a.m.
Pepperell boys vs. Bowden, 11:30 a.m.
Weaver girls vs. Bremen, 1 p.m.
Bremen boys vs. Rockmart, 2:30 p.m.
Bowden girls vs. Spring Garden, 4 p.m.
Weaver boys vs. Heard County, 5:30 p.m.
Rockmart girls vs. Haralson County, 7 p.m.
Spring Garden boys vs. Haralson County, 8:30 p.m.
JCA THUNDER HOLIDAY CLASSIC
Monday’s Games
Cedar Bluff girls vs. Wellborn, 2 p.m.
Wellborn boys vs. Cedar Bluff, 3:30 p.m.
Donoho girls vs. JCA, 5 p.m.
Donoho boys vs. JCA, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s Games
Girls consolation, 2 p.m.
Boys consolation, 3:30 p.m.
Girls championship, 5 p.m.
Boys championship, 6:30 p.m.
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