MRA looking for fourth straight Overall title Southern Sports & Travel, By Darron Thomas
Madison-Ridgeland Academy is the marquee basketball program in the MAIS. Eight AAA State Championships in the past ten years and 46 consecutive wins against MAIS teams is daunting to say the least but for the 2010 MRA squad anything less than winning an unprecedented fourth consecutive boy’s Overall Championship is considered a disappointment. The Patriots moved one step closer to that goal on Friday night with a 74-60 semi final win over Bowling Green. With the win top ranked MRA improves to 33-4 and will take on Presbyterian for the right to take home the Gold Ball.
Bowling Green wasn’t able to provide much resistance early on as MRA rushed out to a 12-0 lead following a Jeffery Rickles 3-pointer from the corner at the 4:07 mark of the first quarter. Bowling Green got in the scoring column on a Shod Fortenberry jump hook to make it 12-2 with 3:58 remaining. Bowling Green pulled to within six points at 14-8 after a Colton Owens baseline jumper and a Mac McElveen lay-in with just under two minutes left in the quarter. Robert Richardson’s basket at the 1:13 mark closed out the scoring in a 16-8 first quarter.
(Above) MRA junior Justin Malone (#34) with a jump hook in the third quarter
MRA extended their lead to 23-10 on a Caleb Miskelly transition basket at the 5:50 mark of the second quarter but the Patriots couldn’t shake Bowling Green. The Buccaneers pulled to within six at 25-19 on a Jaron Edwards assist to Colton Owens. Caleb Miskelly cashed in on a Bowling Green turnover to put MRA up 29-21 with 1:05 left in the quarter but Shod Fortenberry’s basket inside of one minute made it 29-23 at the half.
Bowling Green got the start it wanted in the third quarter as Jaron Edwards nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key to trim the deficit to 29-26 but MRA slammed the door on Bowling Green with a 15-2 run to go up 44-28 with 3:49 left in the quarter. The defending Overall champions closed out the third quarter on a Ryan Ellis basket at the buzzer that gave MRA a 55-36 lead.
MRA grabbed their biggest lead of the night at 68-46 on a Jordan Stentiford driving basket with 3:54 remaining in the game. Bowling Green outscored the Patriots 13-2 over the next 1:55 to pull to within eleven points at 70-59 but could get no closer as the MRA Patriots secured a spot in the Overall finals against Presbyterian with a 74-60 semi final win.
(Above) Colton Owens (#2) of Bowling Green gets a shot over Justin Malone (#34) of MRA
Ryan Ellis led MRA with a game high 20 points, Caleb Miskelly added 19, Jeffery Rickles had 12, Jordan Stentiford 10, Justin Malone 7 and Robert Richardson 6.
Bowling Green (28-10) was led by Colton Owens with 17 points, Jaron Edwards had 15, Shod Fortenberry 14, Mac McElveen 8, Dylan Varnado 5 and Russell Perry 1.
Bowling Green wasn’t able to provide much resistance early on as MRA rushed out to a 12-0 lead following a Jeffery Rickles 3-pointer from the corner at the 4:07 mark of the first quarter. Bowling Green got in the scoring column on a Shod Fortenberry jump hook to make it 12-2 with 3:58 remaining. Bowling Green pulled to within six points at 14-8 after a Colton Owens baseline jumper and a Mac McElveen lay-in with just under two minutes left in the quarter. Robert Richardson’s basket at the 1:13 mark closed out the scoring in a 16-8 first quarter.
(Above) MRA junior Justin Malone (#34) with a jump hook in the third quarterMRA extended their lead to 23-10 on a Caleb Miskelly transition basket at the 5:50 mark of the second quarter but the Patriots couldn’t shake Bowling Green. The Buccaneers pulled to within six at 25-19 on a Jaron Edwards assist to Colton Owens. Caleb Miskelly cashed in on a Bowling Green turnover to put MRA up 29-21 with 1:05 left in the quarter but Shod Fortenberry’s basket inside of one minute made it 29-23 at the half.
Bowling Green got the start it wanted in the third quarter as Jaron Edwards nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key to trim the deficit to 29-26 but MRA slammed the door on Bowling Green with a 15-2 run to go up 44-28 with 3:49 left in the quarter. The defending Overall champions closed out the third quarter on a Ryan Ellis basket at the buzzer that gave MRA a 55-36 lead.
MRA grabbed their biggest lead of the night at 68-46 on a Jordan Stentiford driving basket with 3:54 remaining in the game. Bowling Green outscored the Patriots 13-2 over the next 1:55 to pull to within eleven points at 70-59 but could get no closer as the MRA Patriots secured a spot in the Overall finals against Presbyterian with a 74-60 semi final win.
(Above) Colton Owens (#2) of Bowling Green gets a shot over Justin Malone (#34) of MRARyan Ellis led MRA with a game high 20 points, Caleb Miskelly added 19, Jeffery Rickles had 12, Jordan Stentiford 10, Justin Malone 7 and Robert Richardson 6.
Bowling Green (28-10) was led by Colton Owens with 17 points, Jaron Edwards had 15, Shod Fortenberry 14, Mac McElveen 8, Dylan Varnado 5 and Russell Perry 1.
MR...16...13...26...19...74
BG....8....15...13...24...60
(Photo at top) MRA senior Ryan Ellis (#21) had a game high 20 points
