Southern
Sports & Travel
The
anticipation had been building all season long and on Saturday night top ranked
Central Private finally squared off with two-time defending state champion
Marshall to determine the 2013 Class AA state championship from Canton Academy.
When
the dust had settled Marshall would hoist the state championship trophy for the
third consecutive season following a 64-54 win that was led by senior Peyton
Lewis and sophomore Dakota Dailey who each scored 26 points as the Patriots won
the fifth state title in school history.
The
contest was tied four times and saw six lead changes but Marshall would gain
control midway through the third quarter and Central Private never fully recovered.
The
top ranked Rebels were as advertised in the opening quarter of play.
The
first score didn’t come until the 5:28 mark of an intense first quarter when Marshall’s
Peyton Lewis nailed a 3-pointer from the wing to give the Patriots a 3-0 lead.
What
ensued afterwards was a customary 12-2 Central Private run.
After
Jaydyn Cohen got the Rebels on the board with two free throws at the 3:46 mark
Marshall regained a three point advantage on two Dakota Dailey free throws but
the Patriots would be held scoreless for the remaining 3:36 of the quarter.
Central
Private center Liam Thomas scored on consecutive possessions to give the Rebels
their first lead at 6-5 and Simpson Anderson’s steal and lay-in at the 2:19
mark pushed the lead to 8-5.
Central
Private closed the quarter on an Anderson driving lay-in and a Liam Thomas
bucket in the paint to take a 12-5 lead after one quarter of play.
Marshall
would trim the deficit to four points at 12-8 to open the second quarter but
Central Private stretched their lead back out to seven points once again at
15-8 on Jaydyn Cohen’s lay-in, plus one, with 6:32 left in the half.
That
would be the Rebel's largest lead of the game as Marshall began finding holes in
the Rebel zone defense.
Marshall
fired off a 12-3 run paced by Peyton Lewis to regain the lead at 20-18 with 3:13
remaining in the quarter. Lewis drained a 3-pointer and two mid-range jumpers
during the stretch.
Marshall’s
lead didn’t last long as 6’10” senior Liam Thomas converted on an offensive
rebound and put back and the Rebels went back on top at 22-20 on a Simpson
Anderson slam dunk following a Marshall turnover.
Anderson
nailed a jumper from the elbow to extend the lead to 24-20 but Marshall would
outscore the Rebels 6-2 over the remaining 55 seconds of the half to tie the
game at 26-26 heading into intermission. Dakota Dailey did what he has done
throughout tournament play, finish the quarter strong.
Dailey
was fouled attempting a 3-pointer and converted on all three free throws and
the sophomore canned a 3-pointer from the wing in the closing seconds to tie
the game.
Central
Private quickly pounded the basketball inside to Liam Thomas to start the third
quarter and it paid dividends as the center scored on the block to give the
Rebels a 28-26 lead.
Marshall
responded with a Dakota Dailey 3-pointer fourteen seconds later which was followed
rapidly by a 3-pointer from Central Private’s Thomas Kelley to give Central
Private what would be their final lead of the night at 31-29 with 6:59 left to
play in the third quarter.
Marshall
took the lead for good when Peyton Lewis drained a 3-pointer and Lewis
converted on a transition basket at the 5:21 mark to give the defending
champions a 34-31 lead.
A
Jaydyn Cohen 3-pointer from the wing with 56 seconds left in the quarter tied
the game at 42-42 but Marshall once again closed a quarter with a score. This
time it was Brad Bennett who sank a 3-pointer from the deep corner to give
Marshall a 45-32 lead heading into the championship quarter.
Marshall
pushed out to a seven point lead almost three minutes into the final quarter as
Devonte Smith muscled in a basket in the paint and Peyton Lewis scored from
close range to put the Patriots up 49-42.
Central
Private would draw to within five points on two occasions during the final five
minutes of the game but would get no closer.
Peyton
Lewis’s 3-pointer from the wing at the 1:49 mark to give Marshall a 57-49 lead
seemed to take the air out of Central Private’s attempt to fight back into the
contest and Lewis closed the door by going 6/6 from the free throw line in the
last minute to seal things up at 64-54.
Lewis
and Dakota Dailey each had game high honors with 26 points apiece, Brad Bennett
added 4, Randy Love and Antonio Love had 3 each and Devonte Smith 2.
Simpson
Anderson led Central Private with 18 points, Liam Thomas added 17, Jaydyn Cohen
13 and Thomas Kelley and Syrshawn Fitch 3 each.
Marshall
(34-3) will take on Class A #2 seed Cenla (29-7) Wednesday at 4:15 in next week’s
Overall Tournament.
Central
Private (26-4) will battle Class AAA #2 seed MRA (29-9) on Tuesday at 6:15.
Post Game with Marshall Head Coach Craig Dailey
Post Game with Marshall senior Peyton Lewis
Post Game with Marshall sophomore Dakota Dailey
