Defense sends Model to 7-AA finals
REGION 7-AA SEMIFINALS: Model boys 60, Darlington 47
After weeks of hit-or-miss play, the Model Blue Devils have found the style they played with to start region play.
Model limited Darlington to only 16 first half points and received contributions from almost every player Friday night as the team beat the Tigers 60-47 in the Region 7-AA semifinals. The win sends the Blue Devils to the region title game and ensures them a home state playoff game.
“We defensively shut down a very, very good team,” Model coach Jacob Travis said. “We defensively caused some problems, and offensively we looked for good shots and attacked. Just a phenomenal effort.”
Darlington will play in the consolation finals today against Coosa at 3:30 p.m., while Model will play No. 1 seed Chattooga for the region title at 8:30.
The Blue Devils found success from nearly every spot on the court and got big games from many players. Senior Dwight Hall scored 17 points, senior Brian Griffin tallied 13 points and sophomore Jackson Lively and senior Darius White each scored 11.
The result snaps Darlington’s nine-game winning streak. Senior Kyle Tackeberry scored 16 points and junior Elijah McKoy added 10 points.
Model’s defensive pressure started almost immediately, giving the Blue Devils an early lead. The lead continued to expand over the next three quarters as Darlington (18-8) never got the big run it needed.
The Blue Devils (16-8) jumped to a 12- 2 lead to start the game, including seven points from Lively. Travis said the team owned a confidence on defense that helped force some bad shots, and Model led 14-6 after the first quarter.
Darlington’s J. T. Mumber and McKoy found some success in the second quarter, but Model’s offense kept up. Griffin scored six in the quarter, and Hall hit a 3pointer to put his team up 27- 16 after one half.
“Brian Griffin attacked in second quarter, he attacked and attacked and attacked,” Travis said. “Dwight did too. And then our young guys and our big guys along with Darius White, they cleaned up to get second shots. So the attack we made paid off.”
Model’s momentum rolled on into the second half, as the team only allowed three points for the first four minutes of the second half and stretched its lead to 17. Model scored a game- high 18 points in the third, and finished it with a Griffin jumper to lead 45-27 with a quarter left.
Darlington’s defense finally began to click in the fourth quarter as Tackeberry scored nine and freshman J.D. Hull added six. But the Tigers could only cut the deficit to 11 points as Hall and Griffin went 7-of-8 from the line in the quarter.
Travis said his players should handle tonight’s region title game and not look ahead.
“It’s just one more,” Travis said. “We are just trying to get one more, and then we’ll go from there.”