Crusaders Whip Soddy Daisy Despite McNeil's 22 Points
by John Hunt
posted December 1, 2008
) Photo by Greg Davick Soddy-Daisy's Craig Smith out runs Brandon Andrews from Tennessee Temple. |
After all, Marcum played for Templeton in high school and later in college as Templeton spent 10 years coaching the Crusaders high-school team before leading the Temple University men for the next eight years.
Monday night the veteran coach got a chance to return to the Vance Avenue Gym and it wasn�t a very pleasant experience.
There was a nice pre-game introduction for Templeton and a nice ovation from the fans, but the welcome-back party ended once the game started.
Getting outscored in every quarter, Marcum�s Crusaders improved to 4-0 with an impressive 81-57 victory over Templeton�s Trojans.
The first quarter started off more like a track meet than a high school basketball game as both teams were running for all they were worth and the pace was break-neck the entire way.
The two teams combined for eight 3-pointers as Temple raced to a 28-21 lead when the first stanza ended.
The Crusaders extended that advantage to 43-32 by intermission.
The second half was more of the same as Temple enjoyed its biggest lead at 81-55 in the final minute when Ezekeil Rudolph canned a pair of free throws.
Taylor Bolton scored his only two points at the free throw line 10 seconds later to cut the final margin to 24 points.
�I really don�t know what to say after a game like that,� Marcum said, choosing his post-game comments carefully.
�Coach Templeton was my coach in high school and college. He was one of my mentors and now he�s one of my best friends.
"I knew from my own experience playing for him that his team would come in here and play hard for the entire 32 minutes.
�As for us, we played well tonight. I loved our pace on offense, but we got stops when we needed them on defense.
"Our goal is trying to focus on the journey we�re on and not the destination. If we do what we�re supposed to do on a daily basis, the results will take care of themselves.
�We expected a dogfight from Soddy Daisy tonight. Nathan (Pendergrass) gave us some good minutes off the bench and Jeremy (Sexton) may have played his best game so far. I don�t think he scored that much, we he really guarded.
�It was just a good team effort for us,� Marcum added.
Soddy Daisy�s Templeton had plenty of praise for the Crusaders.
�They were great as they all play so well together. We�re still searching for the right combination for us, but give them a lot of credit.
"They made us do things we didn�t want to do and they basically whipped us in every phase of the game.
�I don�t know how much Caleb charges for lessons like that, but I owe him. Sometimes the best medicine tastes the worst,� Templeton added, his team now 1-3.
Ben Montgomery and Sexton both scored 17 points to lead Temple.
James Kemp came off the bench with the hot hand and scored 11 points in that explosive first quarter before finishing with 15.
Brandon Andrews played steady throughout and added a dozen for the Crusaders.
Brandon McNeil had one of his better games of the young season and set the pace for the Trojans with 22 points, including a dozen in the first quarter.
Kyle Bush added 11 while Alex Bittel was next with nine.
Temple returns to action Tuesday night with a game at Lookout Valley while the Trojans will be at home on Tuesday hosting Heritage Christian.
Soddy Daisy 21 11 15 10 -- 57
Temple 28 15 20 18 -- 81
SODDY DAISY (57) � Brandon McNeil 22, Williams 1, Grimsley, Worthington 6, Willis 4, Bolton 2, Smith 2, Kyle Bush 11, Bittel 9.
TEMPLE (81) � Petersen 6, James Kemp 15, Pendergrass 4, Jeremy Sexton 17, Johnson 6, Jones 2, Brandon Andrews 12, Rudolph 2, Ben Montgomery 17.
3-POINT GOALS: Soddy Daisy 4 (McNeil 3, Bush); Temple 5 (Kemp 2, Sexton 2, Montgomery)
Soddy Daisy girls 42, Temple 33 (OT): The Lady Crusaders came thisclose to winning the game in regulation, but Leigh Phillips sank a short baseline jumper at the last second to knot the score at 31-all to force overtime.
The Lady Trojans owned the extra four-minute period to capture the nine-point victory, their fourth straight win without a defeat.
Janette Elliott canned a 15-footer from the wing with 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to give Temple its only lead at 31-29 after battling back from a 19-10 halftime deficit.
Sophomore McKenzie Bolton scored 13 points to lead the Lady Trojans. She also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.
Phillips followed with eight points, including the two most important ones for Soddy Daisy. She also grabbed 15 rebounds.
Kelsey Nunley, who gave the Lady Trojans the lead for good in the overtime period with two free throws at the 3:30 mark, finished with five points and six rebounds.
Candace Dyer and Elliott both scored 10 points to lead Temple.
Dyer was awarded the game ball after she scored her 1,000th point early in the second quarter.
P.J. Sexton was next with eight points.
Soddy Daisy 5 14 6 6 11 -- 42
Temple 0 10 10 11 2 -- 33
SODDY DAISY (42) � McKenzie Bolton 13, Henderson 2, Nunley 5, England 2, Vandergriff 3, Wilson 3, Ricketts 5, Phillips 8.
TEMPLE (33) � Sexton 8, Janette Elliott 10, Johnson, Kellogg 3, Candace Dyer 10, Combs 2, Sheraef, Sells, Je. Elliott.
3-POINT GOALS: Soddy Daisy 2 (Vandergriff, Wilson); Temple 2 (Sexton 2).
(Email John Hunt at tnmoose2002@aol.com)
) Photo by Greg Davick James Kemp drives to the basket. |
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