Chattanooga Pep's Austin Jones flies to the basket between Humboldt defenders during the Sentinels' 65-59 win over the Vikings. The win sends Chatt Prep into the finals Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. against the winner of Hillcrest-Wayne Co.
photo by Bryan Cannon
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – We all know the mark of a good team is the ability to win, even when you don’t play your best game.
That was certainly the case for the Chattanooga Prep Sentinels here at MTSU’s Murphy Center Friday morning in the first game of the semifinals in the Class A state basketball championship. But despite all the negatives surrounding their performance, they are a win away from reaching their number-one goal for the season.
The Sentinels breezed to a 40-point win in Wednesday’s tournament opener over Santa Fe, but this second game was much different and much more challenging, but those guys wearing the blue uniforms will be battling for their second straight state title on Saturday morning after eliminating the Vikings by a 65-59 final.
“That was a tough battle from start to finish and we’ll take it,” said Prep coach Christian Collins after his team improved to 28-8.
“It certainly wasn’t pretty as our performance was not great at all. Too many turnovers and way too many missed free throws and to think they had 14 offensive rebounds. We knew what to expect as Humboldt is a really good team, but we just have to prepare better.
“We just have to be more disciplined and learn how to play more under control. Humboldt played hard and gave their all. That’s what you expect in a game like this, but the good news is that we get to play for a second championship tomorrow,” Collins added.
Humboldt coach Ronald Abernathy didn’t have any regrets, although he certainly would have liked a different outcome.
“I thought we prepared well. I can’t find anything negative about a team that won 29 games. We put in the work and I thought we followed the game plan. I thought we had a chance to win, but we missed too many free throws and layups down the stretch.
“I loved our effort as it was a very physical and emotional game. Certainly a life lesson to be learned, but Prep is a great team and I’m hoping we’ll get to play them again next year,” Abernathy nodded.
The first half was a game of runs.
The Sentinels scored the first two buckets in the first 20 seconds before Humboldt scored eight of the next 10 points for an 8-6 lead midway through the opening quarter.
The Sentinels then scored 10 straight points in the next three minutes for a 16-8 lead with 1:38 left, but the Vikings scored the last six points and trailed by 16-14 when the quarter ended.
A 3 from Kendrick Taylor to start the second put Humboldt up 17-16 before Derrick Roberson converted a three-point play with 7:08 before intermission to put the Sentinels ahead 19-17. The Vikings then scored seven straight points for a 24-19 lead with 2:50 showing before the taybreak, but Prep was able to knot the score at 24-24 after scoring the last five points of the half.
Demarion Bowman scored on a short jumper in the lane to start the second half for a 26-24 Prep lead and the Sentinels never trailed again. A 3 from Key’ Vontay Wedley trimmed the difference to 34-32 with 3:22 left in the third.
Prep forged ahead 42-34 after Jaydan Parker sank two free throws with 1:05 showing, but the Vikings cut it to 43-39 with one quarter remaining.
Foul trouble was a problem for Humboldt in the final quarter as three Vikings fouled out. The Sentinels kept battling and enjoyed their biggest lead of the game at 58-49 with 1:35 to play following a slam by Roberson.
Austin Jones made the first of two free throws with 28.4 seconds to put Prep up 63-55 before Elijah Moore scored two straight layups to make it 63-59 with 3.9 second left. Prep’s Bowman then made two free throws with 2.7 seconds left for the final six-point margin.
Bowman was tops for the Sentinels with 15 points. Roberson and Jones were also in double figures with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Freshman standout Cadence Collins, who scored 24 in Wednesday’s romp, was limited to just five points after scoring only one in the first half.
Darion Taylor was tops for Humboldt with 14 points before fouling out late. Wedley was next with a dozen.
Both teams were credited with 31 rebounds. Jones topped Prep with nine while Wedley had six for the Vikings.
The Sentinels made 22 of 38 field goals for 57.9 percent that included 14 of 19 in the second half and eight of nine in the fourth quarter. They were true on three of 11 shots from long range and made just 18 of 34 from the free throw line.
The Vikings countered by making 21 of 55 shots from the field for 38.2 percent and five of 16 from long range for 31.3 percent. Humboldt was 12 of 19 from the charity stripe.
Humboldt had 11 turnovers while the Sentinels had 18.
The game had eight lead changes and four ties, but the Sentinels were able to get the lead when it counted the most.
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CHATT PREP
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16
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8
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19
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22
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-- 65
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HUMBOLDT
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14
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10
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15
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20
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--59
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CHATT PREP (65) – Collins 5, Austin Jones 13, Demarion Bowman 15, Bulis 8, Derrick Roberson 14, Williams 3, Parker 3, Koon 4.
HUMBOLDT (59) – K. Taylor 8, Darion Taylor 14, Patterson 9, Curry 2, Bell 4, Moore 6, Key’Vontay Wedley 12, Champion, Campbell 4.
3-POINT GOALS: Chattanooga Prep 3 of 11 (Bowman 2, Williams); Humboldt 5 of 16 (K. Taylor 2, Patterson, Wedley 2).
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)