Against previous unbeaten Woodville-Tompkins, Savannah head boys’ basketball coach George Brown knew it would come down to his team’s defensive effort. Fortunately for the Blue Jackets, it did.
Savannah High School (6-2,2-0) got off to a slow start, but they eventually gained control and rolled to a 63-48 victory in a battle between two ranked state teams at a packed Woodville-Tompkins (8-1,2-1) gymnasium. Maki Joyner had a game-high 21 points, and Jermonte Brown added 16 for the Bluejackets.
“For whatever reason, our kids start slow,” said Brown, whose fourth-ranked team in Class A D-1 won for the sixth time in seven games and raised its record to 6-2 overall. “We got behind 7-2 at the start, but we took the lead at the end of the first quarter.
“The big difference was our defense. Our kids were flying all around, and we applied pressure. We were confident and worked well together. We managed to gain control at halftime.”
“Basketball is a game of runs, and we had our share tonight.”
Brown cited the play of 6-8 center Deshaun Davis, who certainly made his presence felt with a six-point, 15-rebound, and 13 block shot effort. Savannah’s overall height bothered and rattled Woodville-Tompkins -ranked seventh in Class A D-1- throughout the night.
“Deshaun’s play was a big difference,” noted Brown. “He did a tremendous job blocking shots and rebounding. His blocked shots helped turn it around for us early.”
Due to the defense, the Bluejackets built a 30-18 lead at intermission and had a comfortable 44-28 at the end of the third quarter.
Brown also credited the play of Chance Hendricks and Amarion Robinson, both of whom made several stellar defensive plays throughout the game.
“Chance has been battling through some injuries, and he is one of our leaders,” added Brown. “Amarion has been playing well defensively for us. We’re able to change our lineup at any time. We have developed a lot of depth.”
Woodville-Tompkins’s head coach, Travis Priddy’s team, had trouble adapting to Savannah’s size. The Wolverines also lost center and leading rebounder Tyler Grant with a broken tooth in the second half when he dove for a loose ball. Jonathan Pickering led the Wolverines (8-1) with 12 points, Bam Williams had 11, and Joey Bell had 10.
“Their size was too much for us,” said Priddy. “We aren’t very big, and they killed us on the boards. We gave up too many second shots.
“It was hard to score in the paint with their size, and we hit only two threes. Scoring was hard to come by. They had two kids that lit us up.”
Brown wasn’t’ overly concerned about his team playing in a playoff-like atmosphere. He saw it as an opportunity to enhance his team for the postseason.
“They’re used to it,” he stated. “I have seven kids who have played since they were freshmen. They have been in big games and in packed gyms before.
“Our kids have had chances to go elsewhere, but they want to stay together. We want to play the big games. We’re looking to get that type of experiences to help us make a deep run in the postseason.”
HIGH SCHOOL HOOPS SCORES
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2023 - FINAL SCORES
GIRLS:
- Bryan County 50, Metter 38
- Calvary Day 49, Liberty County 39
- Frederica Academy 33, Habersham School 26
- New Hampstead 48, Saint Andrews 24
- Savannah High 43, Woodville-Tompkins 30
- South Effingham 58, Burke County 49
BOYS:
- Benedictine 70, Bolles School 62
- Bethesda Academy 81, First Presbyterian Christian 61
- Bryan County 58, Metter 50
- Frederica Academy 49, Habersham School 28
- Furtah Prep 77, St. Andrew’s 68
- Johnson 52, Savannah Christian 32
- Liberty County 52, Calvary Day 32
- Portal 68, Effingham County 54
- Savannah High 63, Woodville-Tompkins 48
NOTE: Scores as posted on Maxpreps.com
PHOTO CREDIT: WJCL Sports Reporter Preston Harvey
FOLLOW the Prep Sports Report on Twitter @PrepSav, Instagram savannahsportsreport, or if you have a story or recap, contact PSR at https://prepsportsreport.com/Contact or kdemasi@prepsportsreport.com
Optim Orthopedics supports Prep Sports and the following schools: Benedictine Military School, Bradwell Institute, Calvary Day School, Liberty County High School, Richmond Hill High School, Savannah Country Day, South Effingham High School, and St. Vincent's athletics. Benedictine Military School, Bradwell Institue, and Liberty County's team doctor is Dr. David Sedory. Dr. David Palmer is the team doctor for Calvary Day School, South Effingham, and Richmond Hill. Savannah Country Day and St. Vincent's team doctor is Dr. Thomas Alexander. Remember, Optim Orthopedics gets you back into the game.
