Slow starts.
It has been a consistent nagging problem for Savannah High all season long, but the Blue Jackets have overcome the overwhelming majority of them.
Such was the case for them at their Ron Love Athletic Center in an opening-round GHSA Division II Class A state playoff game against Wilcox County.
Looming as heavy favorites, the Blue Jackets (23-4) struggled 31-23 at halftime against the visiting Patriots, who stumbled into the postseason losing three of their last four.
Savannah shot 12-for-25 through the first two quarters, while Wilcox County stayed close with five three-pointers, accounting for 15 of their 23 first-half points.
But the Blue Jackets soon found their mark, scoring their first 11 points of the second half and cruised to a 75-39 victory.
They will host an undetermined opponent at press time Saturday in a second-round state game with a tipoff yet to be released.
Senior guard Maki Joyner accentuated the Blue Jackets' 11-run when he took a pass in the backcourt, drove the length of the floor, and capped it with a one-hand dunk.
Deshawn Davis followed with a block of a three-point attempt on the other end of the court, and it became inevitable that the Blue Jackets were moving on to the next round.
Joyner, who led the Blue Jackets with 19 points, was a bit concerned with his team's slow start, especially in their current state.
"It kind of does because if you want to make a deep run in the state playoffs, it gets harder," said Joyner of his team's early struggles. "We can't keep having slow starts; we have to jump out early.
Joyner stressed his team's defensive pressure as the turning point. He also believes the team bond has become stronger.
"Our defense turned it up, and we took the game over," added Joyner. "They were hitting their outside shots, and we knew we had to get out on them.
"We have been around each other for so long and the chemistry has gotten better. We're clicking very well right now, and we believe we can go far."
Davis, who had 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, also is confident can travel down a long state playoff road.Chance Hendricks also had 13 for the Blue Jackets.
"We always come out slow," stated Davis. "But we began to play better defense. We're jelling at the right time, and we believe we can't lose."
It was another game where the Blue Jackets' smothering man defense opened their floor game as they rolled to their 12th straight victory. They allowed just 16 points after halftime.
Head coach George Brown knew his team could start slow, but he also expected them to find their rhythm. A total of 11 Blue Jackets got into the scoring column.
"That first half has been an example of our Achilles heel most of the season," said Brown. "We've just been trying to start a little faster. We have to figure that out. I don't know what we'll have to do to get our guys going, but we got everything going after that.
"But our defensive intensity picked up and that will help us going forward. Being able to play a lot of guys certainly helped, and you never know who is going to show up. We just have to keep working."
For the Blue Jackets, slow starts have transformed into fast finishes.
WILCOX COUNTY (39)
Benjamin 5-0-0-15, Turner 2-0-0-5, Smith 4-2-2-10, Bolden 2-0-0-4, Howard 2-1-2-5, Murphy 1-0-0-2, McAdoo 0-0-0-0, Tarthe 0-0-0-0, Dennard 0-0-0-0. TOTALS 15-3-4-39.
SAVANNAH (75)
Brown 2-0-0-5, Ruth 2-0-0-5, Hendricks 5-0-0-13. Davis 5-3-5-13, Joyner 9-1-3-19, Fox 3-0-0-6, Anderson 1-0-0-3, Smart 1-1-2-4, Haynes 2-0-0-4, Hayes 0-0-0-0, Rice 2-0-0-4, Noel 0-1-2-1, Robinson 1-0-0-2. TOTALS 31-6-12-75
Wilcox County 7 16 13 3 - 39
Savannah 14 19 23 19 -75
Three-pointers; Wilcox County – Benhamin 5, Turner 1; Savannah – Chance 3, Brown 1, Anderson 1, Ruth 1, Fox 1
|
SAVANNAH HIGH 75, WILCOX COUNTY 39 |
||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | ||
| WILCOX COUNTY | 7 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 39 | |
| SAVANNAH HIGH | 14 | 19 | 23 | 19 | 75 | |
| RECORDS: Savannah High 22-4, Wilcox Co. 8-16 | ||||||
High School Basketball Final Scores for Wednesday, Feb. 19
BOYS
GHSA
CLASS 5A
Rome 72, Bradwell Institute 64
CLASS 4A
Marist 68, Benedictine 59
Tucker 72, New Hampstead 56
CLASS 3A
Windsor Forest 89, Riverdale 66
Baldwin 76, Beach 50
CLASS A -D1
Savannah High 75, Wilcox County 39
Bryan County 73, Montgomery County 45
Woodville-Tompkins 73, Gordon Central 64
CLASS 1A-3A Private
Paideia 66, Savannah Country Day 43
Calvary Day 79, Fellowship Christian 45
Mt. Bethel Christian Academy 58, Savannah Christian 34
GIRLS
CLASS 3A
Monroe 72, Liberty County 46
CLASS 1A-3A Private
Savannah Country Day 67, Aquinas 43
PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of the 912_suspense Instrgam
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