Cougars rock Rebels
Southern Sports & Travel
The third ranked Brookhaven Cougars used an 8-0 late third quarter run to break open a tight game to pull away from second ranked Central Private en-route to a 64-49 win last night in the Class AA South State championship game in Mendenhall.
Brookhaven sophomore Gage Posey had a game high 21 points and senior Brock Smith added 18 as the Cougars outscored Central Private 38-19 in a second half in which Brookhaven attempted no perimeter shots.
(Above) Brookhaven sophomore Gage Posey (#11) had a game high 21 points
Central Private got out to a favorable 5-2 start during the first four minutes of a turnover dominated first quarter. Alex Overs’ steal and basket at the 4:10 mark gave Central Private a 9-4 advantage but Brookhaven answered with two consecutive 3-pointers from Gage Posey to take a 10-9 lead with 2:10 remaining in the opening quarter of play.
Central Private closed out the quarter on a Simpson Anderson steal and lay-in to regain the lead at 11-10.
The lead would swap hands four times during the first half of the second quarter and after an Alex Overs basket, plus one, tied the contest at 20-20 with 3:36 left in the half, Brookhaven finished the half strong.
Brock Smith’s jump hook from 10 feet put the Cougars up for good at 22-20 at the 3:15 mark. Zac Smith then served up an assist to Brennan Miller following a Central Private turnover and Brookhaven closed out the half on a Brock Smith basket in the paint to take a 26-20 lead into intermission.
Brookhaven extended their lead to eight points at 28-20 on a Gage Posey drive and lay-in one minute into the third quarter.
Central Private pulled to within four points at 34-30 following an Alex Overs steal and basket with 3:02 left in the quarter but the Rebels had no answer defensively for Brookhaven’s ability to penetrate the paint and convert easy baskets.
(Above) Brookhaven's Bubba Keene (#10) gets a late third quarter basket
Brookhaven closed out the quarter on an 8-0 run. Sophomore Zac Smith scored a basket in the paint followed by a drive and lay-in from Gage Posey after a Central Private turnover. Brock Smith scored under the basket and Bubba Keene closed out the quarter with a lay-in to give Brookhaven a 42-30 lead after three quarters of play.
Brookhaven extended their third quarter run to 10-0 as Gage Posey went glass on a drive to the basket to give Brookhaven a 44-30 lead less than one minute into the final quarter.
Central Private managed to get to within eleven points at 49-38 on a Piers Carroll bucket at the 5:41 mark but that would be as close at the Rebels would get as Brookhaven reeled off an 11-4 run to take their biggest lead of the night at 60-42 with 3:02 remaining in the game.
With the win Brookhaven moves to 29-3 overall and will enter the Class AA State Tournament as the top seed from the South. The Cougars will take on North fourth seed Leake on Tuesday at 6:30.
Gage Posey led Brookhaven with 21 points, Brock Smith added 18, Brennan Miller 15, Matthew Evans and Zac Smith had 4 each and Bubba Keene 2.
Central Private was led by Simpson Anderson with 17 points, Alex Overs added 14, Lance Wicker 11, Piers Carroll 4 and Mitch Van Asten 3.
Central Private slips to 26-6 and will matchup with Immanuel Christian Tuesday at 4:00.
Post Game with Brookhaven head coach Dale Watts
