Jackets answer Sonoraville run with their own
Calhoun pulls away in fourth for hard-fought win over rival Phoenix
Both Calhoun and Sonoraville had big runs in the second half of Tuesday’s huge subregion matchup, but it was the Jackets who had the final and decisive one.
After seeing the visiting Phoenix reel off a 14-3 run late in the third quarter to tie the game at 41-41, Calhoun turned the tables in the fourth, going on a 9-0 midway through the period to all but seal a 62-51 victory to earn the inside track on the Region 6-AAA South No. 1 seed.
The Jackets (13-4, 8-0) finished the game with a 15-4 advantage in total in the final five minutes of the fourth after Sonoraville (16-3, 8-1) tied the game at 47-47.
Calhoun coach Vince Layson said he was not only pleased with his team’s resiliency for what happened within Tuesday’s game but also after two consecutive non-region losses in the past few days.
“I feel like our guys responded well after two losses, and I was pleased seeing that,” said Layson. “We scheduled those tough games to prepare us for the region stretch, the region tournament and hopefully the state tournament, and it definitely helped us refocus and regroup.
“And tonight, our guys responded to their run. We talked about Sonoraville hanging their hat on that third quarter, which they’ve been really good in this season. We thought that if we could get through that and get to the fourth, we would be fine. That’s one thing that sticks out to me about tonight is our mentality and how strong we finished after they made their run.”
The Jackets bounced back following a 79-49 loss on Saturday and an 80-55 loss on Monday in non-region action against Cartersville and McCallie (Tenn.), respectively.
In all, Calhoun outscored Sonoraville 20-10 in the final quarter with multiple players making big buckets and converting from the free throw line. Chapin Rierson and Malik Lawrence each had seven in the final period, combining to go a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Rierson, who has been dealing with an ankle injury in the last couple weeks, had a gamehigh 24 points, including three 3-pointers and a 9-10 day at the free throw line, to go with 11 rebounds.
“It was good to see him play well ( coming off the injury),” said Layson. “We were a little hesitant and not sure how he was going to come out tonight because he showed some rust last night (against McCallie), but he came out and solidified himself as the best player on the court tonight with a huge game.”
Lawrence finished with 13 for the Jackets, and Kaylan Aker had a solid game with seven points and 11 rebounds. Rhett Abernathy and Porter Law also had seven points apiece.
For Sonoraville, Wil Walraven went for 21 points and was a key part of their third-quarter rally with nine of his points coming in that period. Brad Wilson added 13, including a quartet of 3s, and Bryce Waters was the third Phoenix scorer in double figures with 10.
Sonoraville trailed 31-23 at the break as they found a way to hang around despite not having their best offensive half while Calhoun made a total of six 3s in the first two quarters.
Sonoraville coach Brent Mashburn said he knew his team could get back in the game if they continued to play hard and see some shots fall coming out in the second half.
“It’s one of those games where I’m extremely proud of my team despite the outcome,” said Mashburn. “We didn’t play very well offensively in the first half, but I told the guys in the locker room that if we line up and keep playing like we are capable of, we’d be right where we want to be. We made the plays in the second half to give ourselves a chance, and I’m proud of that.
“You expend a lot of energy fighting back, and it’s hard to keep a good team like Calhoun for an entire half. But our kids gave people what they expected tonight.”