Jackets 3rd-quarter surge carries them to Elite Eight
Calhoun comes out of halftime hot, takes control for win over Chargers
Calhoun made a run to start the game, but Central ( Macon) quickly responded to even up the game. The Jackets made another big run to start the third quarter, and that one was too much for the visitors to overcome on Thursday night.
Calhoun broke open a tied game at the half by pouring in 26 points in the third quarter, including hitting six 3-pointers in the period, to build a lead they wouldn’t give up for a 67-61 win in front of their home fans in the Class AAA State Tournament second round.
The Jackets (22-4) now move into the Elite Eight to host Jenkins next Wednesday. Homecourt advantage for the contest, which is a rematch of last year’s Elite Eight matchup that ended Calhoun’s season, was determined by a coin flip on Friday since both teams are No. 1 seeds, which the Jackets won.
In Thursday’s game, Calhoun went to the halftime break tied 28-28 with Central (208), but took control with some pesky defense and hot- shooting offense. Calhoun coach Vince Layson said he told his team in the locker room at the half how important the third quarter would be in the outcome and they responded to it.
“Going back to the first quarter, one of our keys was to get off to a good start and we did, but by halftime that lead had evaporated,” said Layson. “So my message at the half was to come out and start the third quarter like we started the first. We know basketball is a game of runs, and I thought if we could make the initial run in the second half it would be really big. We came out in the third, got good looks and hit shots. When we’re shooting like that, we’re tough to beat.”
Calhoun’s surge in the third let them build a 54-44 lead going into the final quarter. The Chargers didn’t go away quietly, however, as they continued to battle, and they cut the deficit to 61-59 with just over a minute to play thanks to their pressure defense causing a couple turnovers in that stretch late in the game. But the Jackets responded by hitting 4-of-4 free throws in the final 1:08 to go along with a Davis Allen lay-up to seal it.
Allen finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the double-double. The even bigger performance came from senior Chapin Rierson, who racked up 27 points and 10 rebounds. He made six total 3s, including four from beyond the arc in the key third-quarter run.
“I know it’s cliché, but big-time players step up in big-time games,” said Layson of Rierson’s performance. “He had a big game last year in the second round that kind of put him on the map, and he did it again tonight. He showed bigtime leadership tonight and led by example. He put us on his back and made some huge shots tonight.”
“We knew by looking at their defense that if we worked the ball around and kept it moving, they would have a hard time with that,” added Rierson. “We passed it well and got it to the right person at the right time. We drove it and got the ball to each other for open 3s, and we knocked them down.”
Malik Lawrence was the third Calhoun scorer in double figures with 12 points. The senior had seven of his own in the third. Rhett Abernathy added eight points in the contest.
Artarius McCoy had a huge night for Central with 32 points to keep his team in the game the whole way. He had 17 in the first half, and then brought his team back with 13 in the fourth quarter. Kylan Hill was next on the scoresheet for the Chargers with eight points, and Justus Williams added seven.
Calhoun jumped on Central quick to take a 15-4 lead close to midway through the first quarter, but after a timeout, the Chargers closed the period on a 13-2 run to tie it at 17-17 going to the second. The action was back-andforth in that quarter as well with each team making their share of plays on the offensive and defensive end to battle to an even 28-28 score at the half.
The win moves Calhoun into the Elite Eight for the third time in the past five seasons.