Rebels
run past Bucs on the road
Southern
Sports & Travel
Just
one week had passed since Bowling Green stunned Central Private 50-48 in the
Brookhaven Holiday Tournament but last night the two met in Franklinton for a
District 6-AA encounter and the results paled in comparison to the squad’s
first meeting of the season.
Senior
Liam Thomas scored 18 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and had 14 blocked shots
and fellow senior Simpson Anderson had a game high 21 points as 5th
ranked Central Private pummeled 4th ranked Bowling Green 68-42 to
improve to 11-3 overall and more importantly 1-0 in district play.
In
a hectic first three minutes of the contest Bowling Green looked more than
capable of trading baskets with the Rebels.
(Above) Central Private center Liam Thomas (#20) fights for an offensive rebound
The
Buccaneers got out to an 8-4 lead following back-to-back 3-pointers from senior
Mac McElveen but the fast pace style of play was about to rapidly shift Central
Private’s way.
With
Bowling Green holding a slim 10-9 edge at the 6:27 mark of the quarter the
Rebels erupted with an 11-2 run in which four different players contributed
to give Central Private a 20-12 advantage with 1:16 remaining in the opening
quarter of play.
Mac
McElveen’s third 3-pointer of the quarter trimmed to deficit to five points at
20-15 but Central Private closed the quarter strong as Liam Thomas scored off
an offensive rebound and Shaun Fitch converted on a fast break opportunity with
16 seconds left to give the Rebels a 24-15 cushion heading into the second quarter.
Bowling
Green would get to within seven points at 26-19 following a McElveen 12 foot
baseline jumper three minutes into the quarter but Central Private’s transition
game and ability to capitalize on Bowling Green turnovers contributed to a 13-0
Rebel run to give Central Private their biggest lead of the night at 39-19 with
1:57 left in the half.
“A
big part of our defensive game plan tonight was our half-court trap,” said
Central Private 6'10" center Liam Thomas. “We also worked on our lane running during
the week and our ability to do that tonight provided opportunities for fast
break baskets off of missed shots.”
Bowling
Green finished the half with five straight points to enter intermission down
39-24.
Central
Private quickly closed the door on any Bowling Green hopes of getting back into
the game to start the third quarter.
Simpson
Anderson buried a 3-pointer from the wing to open the third quarter and followed
with an offensive rebound and put back to give the Rebels a 44-24 lead. A fast
break bucket from Shaun Fitch and another Anderson offensive rebound basket,
plus one, stretched the lead to 49-24 with 4:12 remaining in the quarter.
Following a Liam Thomas free throw and a Fitch basket Central Private concluded
a 12-0 run on a Simpson Anderson fast break lay-in to give the Rebels a 54-24
advantage with just over three minutes left in the third quarter.
After
taking a 56-30 lead into the fourth quarter Central Private once again pushed
the lead to thirty points at 62-32 on a Simpson Anderson slam dunk (Photo left) with just
over five minutes remaining in the contest in route to a 68-42 win.
Simpson
Anderson led Central Private with a game high 21 points, Liam Thomas recorded a
triple-double with 18 points, 15 rebounds and 14 blocked shots, Shaun Fitch
added 10 points, Jayden Cohen 8, Thomas Kelly 3 and Deventa Scott 2.
“We
looked forward to this game for a week,” said Thomas. “The atmosphere tonight was
fun and we fed off of it but the biggest thing is that this was a district win.”
Mac
McElveen led Bowling Green (12-5 & 2-1) with 16 points and Patrick Roublow
added 8.
Central
Private will be in action today as they hit the road to battle defending Overall
Champion Jackson Prep while the next action for Bowling Green with be against
district foe Silliman on Saturday at Silliman.
.
Post Game with Central Private Head Coach Henry Gantz
