Panthers dump PV
- Updated: January 27, 2015
Boys roundup: Free throws, rebounding carry Wellborn; JCA edges Donoho
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
Wellborn used more than two dozen free throws to hold off Pleasant Valley 70-67 Monday night in a Class 3A, Area 10 game in a game with tournament seeding implications.
The win clinched third place for the Panthers (6-11, 2-4) and relegated the Raiders (3-21, 0-6) to fourth. It sets up the Panthers for a first-round area game against Weaver; the teams have played twice this year and both games have been shootouts. Pleasant Valley will play host Piedmont.
Corri Tignor took control of the game inside and Jordan Montgomery got hot from outside as the Panthers pulled out to a 19-15 lead in the opening quarter. Montgomery nailed three 3-pointers as they ran the lead to 50-39 going into the fourth.
Reid Hightower started dropping 3s and the Raiders battled their way back, but Wellborn hit 11 free throws in the fourth quarter to hold them off. Blake Hanson hit eight of those free throws (in 12 attempts) in the fourth quarter. All 11 of Hanson’s points in the game came from the line; he was 11 of 18 for the game.
The Panthers 26 of 44 from the line for the game, 16 of 28 in the second half. They made more free throws than Pleasant Valley attempted.
“We have really been working on our free throws and it paid off for us tonight,” Wellborn coach Beau Winn said. “We were not hitting from outside, so we got our kids to take the ball to the basket and we got rewarded with fouls.”
Tignor pounded it inside for 25 points and nine rebounds to lead the Panthers. Montgomery finished with 18. Winn praised Quandarious Moore and Kendarious Weatherly for “some great minutes” on the defensive end, particularly in the second quarter.
“Free throws and offensive rebounds were the keys for us tonight,” Winn said. “We finally finished off a game and I could not be more proud of a bunch of guys. We have had so many close games go the other way this year. They just have not quit on the season.”
Hightower topped the Raiders with 15 points – 12 in the fourth quarter. Chase Craven added 14 and Kirklin Childs had 10 points.
On the cover: Corri Tignor (4), shown in the County Tournament against White Plains, had 25 points and nine rebounds for Wellborn Monday. (Photo by Bridget Merriman)
Jacksonville Christian 53, Donoho 51
JACKSONVILLE — Reed Murphy converted a three-point play with 11 seconds left and Daylon Brackett hit a free throw in the final second to cap a second-half JCA comeback.
The Thunder trailed 22-16 at the half and rallied with a well-balanced attack. A putback by Justin Foster off a missed free throw put Donoho ahead inside 30 seconds. Murphy then drove the floor, scored a layup and hit the and-one to give JCA back the lead.
The Falcons missed a shot and in the ensuing scramble for the rebound Walker Messer and Daylon Brackett both called time to give the Thunder possession. Brackett was fouled on inbounds and made one of two free throws for the final margin.
“During the previous time out we told them we had a pocketful of timeouts left,” JCA coach Tommy Miller said. “We said don’t waste them, but if we’re in a situation where we’re going to turn it over, call it. They jumped on it and called it with 1.2 seconds left.”
All five players on the floor for JCA made big baskets and rebounds in the fourth quarter for the Thunder. Messer and Murphy both finished with 15 points. Kris Armprester had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
“Our effort was tremendous,” Miller said. “It really was all five guys. They really played as a team.”
Justin Foster led Donoho with 22 points.
Wellborn 70, Pleasant Valley 67
WELLBORN (6-11) – Alquinarious Parker 1 1-3 3, Kevin Mixon 1 0-0 2, Corri Tignor 8 9-15 25, Landon Machristie 2 2-4 6, Jordan Montgomery 6 3-4 18, Dontavious Miller 1 0-0 3, Quandarious Moore 1 0-0 2, Blake Hanson 0 11-18 11, Kendarious Weatherly 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 26-44 70.
PLEASANT VALLEY (3-21) — Josh Preston 0 0-0 0, Kirklin Childs 5 0-2 10, Britton Proper 2 0-0 5, Marshall Smith 1 2-4 4, Seth Kirk 0 6-6 6, Andy Brannon 3 0-0 6, Matthew Parker 1 5-10 7, Reid Hightower 5 2-2 15, Chase Craven 7 0-0 14. Totals 24 15-24 67.
Wellborn 19 11 20 20 — 70
Pleasant Valley 15 11 13 28 — 67
3-point goals: Wellborn 4 (Montgomery 3, Miller); Pleasant Valley 4 (Proper, Hightower 3). Total fouls: Wellborn 18, Pleasant Valley 25. Fouled out: Machristie, Parker.
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