East Hamilton’s Justin Dozier and Cameron Montgomery turned into “Fire and Lightning” Friday night against White County’s visiting Warriors.
The dynamic duo combined for 50 points as the Hurricanes exploded for 46 second-half points and routed the Warriors 82-62 for their seventh win in eight games opening the season.
“We ain’t been beat like that in a long time,” White County coach Eric Mitchell said. “This is only the second time in 22 months we’ve been beat in the regular season, so we’ve had a nice run and our guys have to keep plugging. I credit East Hamilton; they’ve got all the tools.”
White County, which dropped a 55-54 decision at Ooltewah on Dec. 6, has built a reputation of being a 3-point basketball machine and parlayed that into a 65-7 record over the past two-plus seasons.
Rarely have the Warriors been defended like the Hurricanes guarded them on Friday.
East Hamilton was in the back pocket of every Warrior on the court all night long. When they zigged, a ‘Canes player was already there. White County did not shoot particularly well and East Hamilton was hitting from every imaginable angle – from both wings, inside, both corners, from 3-point distance and point-blank range.
The Warriors, out of District 6-3A, looked bewildered at times while the ‘Canes looked supremely confident in everything they were doing.
The 82 points was a season-best for East Hamilton. Defensively, the ‘Canes have held two teams – Baylor and Smyrna – to a season-low 55 points.
Those two favors translate into East Hamilton’s five-game winning streak.
“We’ve worked so hard to put this together and keep it consistent,” ‘Canes coach Rodney English said. “Every game they’re getting better and tonight they just exploded. We’re averaging 72 points a game, but we haven’t had someone explode the way Cameron did tonight all at once.”
While Dozier had a game-high 28 points, including 12 in the ‘Canes’ powerful 28-point third period when their point spread went from eight to 20, Montgomery pumped in 22 points and had eight in the third.
Montgomery made five 3s and Dozier 3. As a team, East Hamilton hit 11 3s.
White County, which caught the nation’s high school fancy by making an astronomical amount of 3-pointers two years ago while reaching the state tournament quarterfinals before losing to eventual runner-up Brentwood, made 10 shots from behind the arc.
Pierce Whited made six and Jared Carter four.
“I think I played pretty well in every category,” said Montgomery, a sophomore guard. “This was one of my best all-around games of the year and the most points I’ve scored in a game. It makes me feel like I can score against anybody.”
Said Dozier, a junior guard (the ‘Canes have only two seniors – Noah Fager and Matthew Wingard on the roster), “I was very impressed with our play tonight and I’m excited we came out and got a big win.
“We had to play good defense and stop their good shooters (Whited and Carter) and then attack their zone defense. I thought we did that.”
The ‘Canes didn’t stop Whited and Carter, but they gave them precious few uncontested shots. Whited led White County with 24 points (he drained six 3s) and Carter added 18, including four 3s.
“The scoring by Dozier and Montgomery was big and we got it all off our defense,” English said. “We got down and guarded a really good White County team and we were able to get some easy buckets from guarding them.”
In three games this season, the Warriors held opponents to fewer than 50 points, with a low of 43 versus Clinton on Nov. 18. Before Friday the best offensive effort by any opponent was 73 by CAK.
“I thought we did a good job weathering the storm in the first half,” Mitchell said, “but came out in the second half and didn’t play so well. East Hamilton’s defense was just unbelievable. If they continue to play like that, they’ll give everybody in their district (5-3A) and our region (3-3A) trouble.”
In the second quarter, the Warriors trailed by 17-16, but Whited hit a 3 and 26 seconds later added a free throw for a 20-17 advantage.
The ‘Canes made their first real offensive move of the night, went on an 18-3 run – Montgomery hit two 3s, a two-pointer and a free throw for half those 18 – and suddenly East Hamilton had a 35-23 lead late in the second quarter.
White County’s only points in the final 4:56 of the period came on 3s by Carter and Whited, the latter coming at the buzzer to end the first half. The Warriors were down 36-28 at the break.
Remarkably, East Hamilton, having adjusted to the Warriors' 1-3-1 zone, turned up the heat in the third quarter after playing an excellent first half and it was more than White County could handle.
Dozier started it off with a 3.
The Warriors’ Malik Murray answered with back-to-back layups, his only points in the game.
Dozier nailed another 3-pointer.
White’s Kendall Barker scored a free throw.
The ‘Canes’ Vandrele Wilson and Dozier tossed in field goals and Whited countered for the Warriors.
With the on-court action at a fast-and-furious pace, East Hamilton’s Matt Wingard hit a free throw and Whited offset it with another quick-release 3. Dozier made a layup and the Warriors’ Saylor Wilson hit a bucket, but missed an ensuing free throw, and pulled the visitors to within 49-40 with 2:45 on the clock.
Josh Rogers, who scored just three points, dropped in a layup and Dozier followed suit.
Up to that point, only a timeout could stop the teams from using the gymnasium as a race track. A scoreboard malfunction derailed the back-and-forth express for about four or five minutes.
When play resumed the ‘Canes outscored White 11-4 over the final 1 minute and 32 seconds – Montgomery hit two 3s and Noah Fager one – in the last 73 seconds and East Hamilton was safely in control at 64-44.
The fourth quarter was simply a formality to the eventual outcome. When Drew Williams made a pair of free throws, the ‘Canes had their biggest lead by 78-50 with 2:50 left in the game.
The Warriors then scored 12 of the next 13 points, but still trailed by 80-62.
“Dozier had 16 against us at our place, so we knew about him scoring,” Mitchell said. “Now (Montgomery) comes out of nowhere and he just stroked it tonight. I knew Hughley was a warrior in the middle. They know where to go, their basketball IQ was great, they adjusted to our 1-3-1 zone, which isn't always easy to do because not many people use it, and that’s a total tribute to coach English.
“East Hamilton did it all tonight.”
As for any type of message being sent by East Hamilton with Friday’s win, English wasn’t going there.
“Other teams in our district our off doing what they’re doing and we’re trying to get better so when we see all those teams in January we’ll be ready for them.”
If Friday’s effort was any indication at all, opposing district teams better start getting ready for the hard-charging Hurricanes.
White County gained a split of the varsity games by beating the Lady Hurricanes 40-25.
Linescores
Girls Game
White County 11 11 6 12 – 40
East Hamilton 13 4 2 6 – 25
White County (40) – Green 3, Stoglin, Deandra Luna 12, Turner, Liftwich 7, Ken. Reeves, Anderson 5, Kend. Reeves 3, Bray 3, Curtis 7.
East Hamilton (25) – Patton, Moon, Lacy, Wood 2, Scott 2, Hayes 6, Gray 2, Zeh 4, Petitt, Abernathy, Laboo 9.
3-Point Goals – White County 8 (Luna 3, Green 1, Anderson 1, Kend. Reeves 1, Bay 1, Curtis 1), East Hamilton none.
Boys Game
White County 14 14 16 18 – 62
East Hamilton 11 25 28 18 – 82
White County (62) – Crosland 7, Swoope, Dalton 2, Coepland 5, Jared Carter 18, Kincer, Pierce Whited 24, Murray 4, Wilson 2, Barker.
East Hamilton (82) – Wilson 5, Williams 5, Cameron Montgomery 22, Rogers 3, DaVae Hughley 10, Randolph 2, Fager 6, Justin Dozier 28, Hammett, Wingard 1.
3-Point Goals – White County 10 (Whited 6, Carter 4), East Hamilton 11 (Montgomery 5, Fager 2, Dozier 3, Wilson 1).
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)