Cawood took care of business in workmanlike fashion, dominating both the perimeter and the post in rolling to a 86-72 victory over South Floyd to capture third place in the tournament.
"The first thing we mentioned was that it goes on the record as a win or loss, just the same as last night's did. You you have to come back ready to play," Cawood coach Anthony Nolan said. "That's a testament to our kids. I think it's maturity from last year to this year. They came back and played well and played hard tonight.
"We thought we could wear them down and we were able to."
Cawood raced to a 6-0 lead and was never threatened in a rematch of the 2002 WYMT championship game that South Floyd won in overtime.
The Raiders had no answer for Cawood senior guard Blake Hubbs, who poured in 37 points on a 15-for-29 shooting performance.
"Once he gets in a rhythm, he can score points in bunches and score them quickly," Nolan said. "The floodgates opened, and he's able to just bury a team. He's done that so many times over his career."
Cawood neutralized South Floyd's size advantage as senior center Andrew Brock limited the Raiders' Steven Stanley, who is 6-foot-6 and well over 250 pounds, to eight points.
"He is definitely an easy guy to find on the floor. He's a big target, but I thought we did a good job of getting in the passing lanes and pressuring the guards where they couldn't see to get the good entries to him," Nolan said. "Andrew is such a good shot blocker that he's able to challenge regardless of the height or size of his opponent."
The Trojans shot 52 percent (36 of 69) from the field and connected on 10 3-pointers. Junior point guard Derrick Watkins added 14 points and senior forward Travis Clem contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Watkins, Hubbs, Joe Brock and Shawn Ely, who became the 17th member of Cawood's 1,000-point club earlier this month, each hit 3-pointers in the first quarter as Cawood raced to a 13-point lead, setting the tone for the game with an aggressive defense that made it difficult for the Raiders to get off an uncontested shot.
With the Trojans' advantage down to 10 early in the second period, Hubbs ignited a 10-0 spurt that put the Trojans in command. Andrew Brock and Derek Creech also had baskets in the run as Cawood stretched its lead to 42-23 at the break.
Hubbs took over in the third quarter, going from hot to scorching as he connected on six straight shots, including four straight 3-pointers from various locations as Cawood pushed its lead to 24.
The game turned into a track meet midway through the third period as both teams appeared to relax defensively and settle into a 3-point contest. Hubbs and South Floyd's Ethan Johnson took turns hitting 3s on five straight trips down the floor as the Raiders pulled back to within 14 heading into the fourth quarter.
Watkins and Hubbs, who represented Cawood on the all-tournament team, pushed the Trojans' lead back to 24 midway through the fourth period. With all but one Cawood starter on the bench, South Floyd reeled off 12 straight points down the stretch to get as close as 12.
"Everybody is going to make a run, and they made one," Nolan said. "We toyed with the lead a couple of times. We were trying to get some kids some exposure, and we still have some things to work out with those young kids, but I thought the effort was there for the most part."
Johnson, a sophomore guard, scored 21 to lead South Floyd (5-10). Ryan Johnson, a junior guard, added 13.
Hazard rolled past tournament host Perry Central 65-45 in the championship game. East Ridge defeated Clay County 70-53 for fifth place.
Cawood (11-3) returns to action Tuesday at home against Evarts.
SOUTH FLOYD (5-10)
Mason Hall 2-5 0-0 4, Wes Hall 1-2 0-0 2, Ryan Johnson 5-11 2-3 13, Burnett Little 5-8 1-4 11, Steven Stanley 3-7 2-5 8, Ethan Johnson 5-13 6-6 21, Ryan Little 3-4 1-2 7, Justin Slone 3-5 0-0 6, Joe Osborne 0-0 0-1 0, T.J. Hall 0-0 0-0 0, Matt Little 0-0 0-0 0, Kenny Parker 0-1 0-0 0, Lyle Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Wes Akers 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 27-57 12-21 72.
CAWOOD (11-3)
Derrick Watkins 6-8 0-0 14, Shawn Ely 2-5 0-0 6, Blake Hubbs 15-29 2-3 37, Travis Clem 4-8 2-4 10, Andrew Brock 4-9 0-1 8, Joe Brock 1-3 0-0 3, Aaron Stephens 1-1 0-2 2, Derek Creech 2-4 0-1 4, Billydean Shelton 0-0 0-0 0, Kyle Hatfield 0-0 0-0 0, Billy Turner 1-1 0-0 2, Ben Turner 0-0 0-0 0, Josh Caldwell 0-0 0-0 0, Adam Rhymer 0-0 0-0 0, B.J. Nolan 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 36-69 4-11 86.
South Floyd 13 10 30 19 72
Cawood 24 18 25 19 86
3-point goals: South Floyd 6-19 (E. Johnson 5-7, R. Johnson 1-6, Slone 0-1, Parker 0-1, W. Hall 0-1, M. Hall 0-3), Cawood 10-25 (Hubbs 5-12, Watkins 2-3, Ely 2-5, J. Brock 1-3, Creech 0-2). Rebounds: South Floyd 30 (Stanley 9), Cawood 33 (Clem 11). Turnovers: South Floyd 22, Cawood 16. Fouled out: South Floyd (R. Johnson).
Post a Comment
