Boyd-Buchanan Advances To Division II-A East Region Semifinals

There are a multitude of adjectives that could be used to describe what Boyd-Buchanan does on a nightly basis to opposing teams on the defensive end of the floor: suffocating, overwhelming, stifling, and the list goes on.

 

The Buccaneers have held opponents to just 39.3 points per game this season, and have given up less than 30 points in six games, which is twice as many as they have given up over 50.

That brings to mind one more superlative.

 

Elite.

 

Boyd-Buchanan’s elite defense hasn’t diminished just because it’s time for the postseason. It was that defense that led them to a 59-47 victory over The King’s Academy on Tuesday night at home in the Division II-A East region quarterfinals. Eli Evans led the Bucs on the offensive end with 25 points – 14 of those coming in the third quarter – while Ian Johnson scored 14.

 

The elimination game win advances Boyd (24-4) to the region semifinals against Knoxville Grace on Thursday at Notre Dame High School. It also guarantees them a spot in the 12-team state tournament that begins next week.

 

“I’m really proud of our guys. That’s a big win in an elimination game,” said Boyd coach Josh Templeton. “(The slow start offensively) might not have even been nerves as much as it was adrenaline. You’re so excited to play, and you have all that pumping that some shots were long in the beginning. But once we got lost in the game a little bit, our instincts kicked in.”

 

What makes the Bucs’ defense so special is that they not only challenge their opponent on every single possession, they can sustain that defiance over a lengthy period of time. They did that twice on Tuesday, and it proved too much for the Lions (12-16) to overcome.

 

The first started a couple of minutes into the second quarter. After a back-and-forth first period, a 3-pointer by the Lions’ Nemanja Kovacevic at the 5:48 mark gave his team a 15-13 lead. That would be the last points the visitors would score before the half, however.

 

While neither team lit up the scoreboard in the second period, quite possibly the turning point in the game came with less than a minute to play before halftime. With Boyd leading 18-15, Johnson hit a 3-ball from the left corner. In the scramble for the potential rebound, a Bucs player was fouled underneath the basket, which meant the basket counted and the home team got the ball.

 

Evans was fouled immediately on the inbounds from under the basket, and made both free throws to give Boyd what amounted to a five-point possession and the first breathing room either team had seen all night as the Bucs went into intermission up 23-15.

 

“That play was huge,” Templeton said. “It loosened us up a little bit (going into halftime). Once we got that cushion, I feel like the guys really seemed to relax.”

 

The second lengthy run that essentially put the game away came midway through the third period, a quarter that was also dominated by Evans offensively. The senior single-handedly kept the Bucs afloat, scoring his team’s first six points, as the Lions came roaring out of the locker room trying to claw their way back in the game.

 

The King’s Academy had pulled to within six points with 4:14 to play in the quarter when the Bucs did what they do best – stop allowing the other team to put the ball in the basket. The Lions were held without a field goal over the final half of the third period as the home team outscored them 13-1 to extend the lead to 44-26.

 

Most of the scoring damage was done by Evans, as he finally began to find the range from deep. He made a basket with three minutes left, followed by triples from the right wing and the top of the key – with a jumper by Johnson mixed in – to ignite the bench and the crowd before the Bucs cruised to victory in the final quarter.

 

“We liked how the game was going (at halftime), we just needed to make a couple more shots,” Templeton said. “I didn’t really like our pressure in the first half. We put a lot more heat on the ball in the second half, and that got to them a little bit. It’s a lot easier to put the heat on them when we’re making shots and it slows them down getting the ball out of the net and down the floor.”

 

While Tuesday night’s contest might have been an elimination game, Thursday night’s game has dual significance. Not only would a win cement the Bucs’ spot in the region championship game the following night, it would guarantee the team a first-round bye in the state tournament and a home game in the quarterfinal round, with just one win advancing the team to play in the state semifinals at Lipscomb University.

 

Boyd was the only boys’ team from District 2 to survive, as Notre Dame, Silverdale Baptist, and Grace Baptist all fell in the quarterfinal round. The Bucs’ semifinal game is currently scheduled to be played at 8:30 p.m. Thursday night.

 

GAME SUMMARY

 

THE KING’S ACADEMY   9     6   11   21   --   47

BOYD-BUCHANAN        10   13    21   15   --   59

THE KING’S ACADEMY (47) – Micky J’Philippe 11, Zack Tilley 10, Overdorf 8, William 6, Kovacevic 6, Ayers 2, Hall 2, Montiero 2, Lockhart, Welbourn, Blankenship, Tanaskovic.

BOYD-BUCHANAN (59) – Eli Evans 25, Ian Johnson 14, Gay 5, Emrey 4, Craw 3, Edmondson 2, Lopez 2, C. Johnson 2, Shockley 2, Oliver, Johnston.

3-POINT GOALS: The King’s Academy 6 (Overdorf 2, Tilley 2, J’Philipe, Kovacevic); Boyd -Buchanan 4 (Evans 2, I. Johnson, Craw).

RECORDS: Boyd-Buchanan 24-4; The King’s Academy 12-16.

 

(E-mail Kevin Llewallyn at kevin.llewallyn@gmail.com.)