Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
The Bowling Green Buccaneers will be making their first finals appearance since 1998 following a 68-49 win over the Canton Panthers in semi final action last night at Indianola. Jaron Edwards led all scorers with 24 points as the second ranked Bucs improved to 27-8 and will battle district 4AA foe Brookhaven for the state championship tonight. It will be the sixth time this season the two have met. 
(Above) Colton Owens (#2) of Bowling Green rejects the shot of Canton's Eddie Drane (#20)
Bowling Green got on the board first on a Mac McElveen drive and lay-in just over one minute into the opening quarter. Taylor Pierce of Canton hit a 15 foot jumper to tie the game at 2-2 but the Panthers quickly found themselves trailing 17-7 after a Jaron Edwards 3-pointer from the top of the key at the 1:36 mark of the quarter. Michael Jerome’s jump hook for Canton with 8 seconds on the clock made it 19-10 but Edwards drained another 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Bowling Green a 22-10 lead after one quarter of play.
Bowling Green extended their lead to 30-14 at the 5:09 mark when Dylan Varnado pulled down an offensive rebound and scored and the Buccaneers took their largest lead of 37-17 on a Mac McElveen 3-pointer from the wing with 1:33 left in the half. The second quarter finished much as the first did. Michael Jerome went baseline for a basket only to see Jaron Edwards can a 3-pointer to end the half with Bowling Green enjoying a 40-21 lead.
(Above) Shod Fortenberry (#20) and Dylan Varnado (#1) defend a shot attempt from Canton's Taylor Pierce (#3)
Canton got a basket from Chris Reed and free throw from Taylor Pierce to start the second half but the Panthers could not slow Bowling Green down. With Canton trailing 49-31 at the 2:49 mark Colton Owens scored on an offensive rebound and put back followed by an Owens basket off an inbounds pass from Dylan Varnado. Just seven seconds later Varnado collected a backcourt steal and lay-in to give Bowling Green a commanding 55-31 advantage with 1:06 left in the quarter. The quarter ended with Bowling Green up 56-33.
Canton would get no closer than eighteen points in the fourth quarter as Bowling Green went on to take a 68-49 semi final win.
Jaron Edwards led Bowling Green with a game high 24 points, Colton Owens added 14, Dylan Varnado and Shod Fortenberry had 8 each, Mac McElveen 6, Russell Perry 4 and Dean King and Kevin Perry 2 apiece.
Taylor Pierce led Canton with 15 points, Michael Jerome added 13, Eddie Drane and Will Balentine had 5 each, Manning James 3 and Nathan Simpson, Matt Lynch and Chris Reed 2 apiece.
Canton slips to 20-11 and will play Marshall in the third place game tonight.
(Above) Bowling Green freshman Mac McElveen (#14) gets a piece of a Canton shot attempt
(Above) Colton Owens (#2) of Bowling Green rejects the shot of Canton's Eddie Drane (#20)Bowling Green got on the board first on a Mac McElveen drive and lay-in just over one minute into the opening quarter. Taylor Pierce of Canton hit a 15 foot jumper to tie the game at 2-2 but the Panthers quickly found themselves trailing 17-7 after a Jaron Edwards 3-pointer from the top of the key at the 1:36 mark of the quarter. Michael Jerome’s jump hook for Canton with 8 seconds on the clock made it 19-10 but Edwards drained another 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Bowling Green a 22-10 lead after one quarter of play.
Bowling Green extended their lead to 30-14 at the 5:09 mark when Dylan Varnado pulled down an offensive rebound and scored and the Buccaneers took their largest lead of 37-17 on a Mac McElveen 3-pointer from the wing with 1:33 left in the half. The second quarter finished much as the first did. Michael Jerome went baseline for a basket only to see Jaron Edwards can a 3-pointer to end the half with Bowling Green enjoying a 40-21 lead.
(Above) Shod Fortenberry (#20) and Dylan Varnado (#1) defend a shot attempt from Canton's Taylor Pierce (#3)Canton got a basket from Chris Reed and free throw from Taylor Pierce to start the second half but the Panthers could not slow Bowling Green down. With Canton trailing 49-31 at the 2:49 mark Colton Owens scored on an offensive rebound and put back followed by an Owens basket off an inbounds pass from Dylan Varnado. Just seven seconds later Varnado collected a backcourt steal and lay-in to give Bowling Green a commanding 55-31 advantage with 1:06 left in the quarter. The quarter ended with Bowling Green up 56-33.
Canton would get no closer than eighteen points in the fourth quarter as Bowling Green went on to take a 68-49 semi final win.
Jaron Edwards led Bowling Green with a game high 24 points, Colton Owens added 14, Dylan Varnado and Shod Fortenberry had 8 each, Mac McElveen 6, Russell Perry 4 and Dean King and Kevin Perry 2 apiece.
Taylor Pierce led Canton with 15 points, Michael Jerome added 13, Eddie Drane and Will Balentine had 5 each, Manning James 3 and Nathan Simpson, Matt Lynch and Chris Reed 2 apiece.
Canton slips to 20-11 and will play Marshall in the third place game tonight.
(Above) Bowling Green freshman Mac McElveen (#14) gets a piece of a Canton shot attemptPost game comments:
Bowling Green head coach Pat King
“I was proud of our guys for being off since last Saturday and not being able to be in this gym to play a game. I was proud of the way they came out with lots of intensity. I wasn’t real happy with the start of the second half, we didn’t have that intensity, but being able to rest some guys in the fourth quarter was big. Knowing we’ll be chasing Brookhaven around tonight made us being able to rest players in the fourth quarter big.”
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What will it take to beat Brookhaven for the state title?
“We’re going to have to match their intensity and their mental toughness. I think we’ll have to eliminate any easy opportunities they get offensively and make them earn it and of course when you play Brookhaven you have to take care of the basketball.”
“We’re going to have to match their intensity and their mental toughness. I think we’ll have to eliminate any easy opportunities they get offensively and make them earn it and of course when you play Brookhaven you have to take care of the basketball.”
BG...22...18...16...12...68
CA...10...11...12...16...49
