Fast start sends Model past Warriors
Model remained near the top of the 2A Region 7 standings Wednesday night, using a fast start to get past Gordon Central, 57-30, on the Warriors’ court in both teams’ final game of the first half of league play.
Entering Friday night, Chattooga was the last team in the Region that was unbeaten. Coosa is a game behind the Indians, having suffered just one loss, while Model, with their win over Gordon Central, is in third place at 4-2 and all three of those teams still play each other one more time after the second part of the league tipped off Friday night.
The Warriors were scheduled to play at Coosa (details were not available at press time) and they then go to Chattooga Tuesday night, meaning they have the league leaders back-to-back at this time, but could definitely disrupt things in the region with a couple of good performances.
In a game that was played 24 hours after it was originally scheduled while the Gordon Central team dealt with some covid issues, Model jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first quarter and were never in any real danger after that.
The Warriors did hang around for a while, but a scoring spree late in the third period was what allowed the Blue Devils to pull away.
With their slow, deliberate offense, the Warriors simply couldn’t make enough shots to keep up with a Model team that was much bigger inside and took full advantage of it when 6-foot8 sophomore Jeremias Heardwas on the floor.
The visitors were also looking to press and trap the Warriors in the backcourt with their diamond-and-one defense but junior guards Mac McDaniel, who led the team in scoring, and Blake Broome handled that for the most part.
The Warriors had just one lead in the game and that was 3-2 after McDaniel hit a three-point bomb a minute into the game.
From there, the Blue Devils went on a 7-0 scoring flurry with Heard and senior guard Dane Harris putting in all those points to take a 9-3 upper hand two minutes into the game.
A Scott James’ three-pointer for Gordon Central with 5:20 left in the first quarter drew the hosts with three at 9-6, but the Blue Devils went on its second 7-0 run of the quarter to grab a 16-6 lead with just over two minutes showing.
The visitors got a three, a one-handed dunk by 6-foot-6 junior Jakenese Heard, and a running layup to take its first double-digit lead of the game.
Broome answered with a runner on the baseline to make it 16-8 before the Blue Devils added a free throw, but McDaniel hit a corner trey in the waning seconds and Model’s lead was 17-11 after the initial eight minutes.
The contest turned into a defensive struggle in the second quarter with both teams turning it over a few times each, but the Blue Devils were able to make a couple of those errors actual points, scoring the first nine of the quarter to grab a 26-11 lead as the clock was under three minutes showing before the Warriors scored their first basket of the period.
That came on excellent Broome steal and drive for the layup that made it 26-13 with 2:43 left until halftime.
After a Model timeout, the Blue Devils tried to milk the clock, but the Warriors forced a couple of turnovers and turned one into a layup by junior forward Gavin Holmes. A late Model free throw gave the team from Floyd County a 27-15 lead at halftime.
Model scored the first bucket of the third period, but Bloome hit a three and then split a pair of free throws, pulling the Warriors within 10 at 29-19 with just under six minutes left in the quarter.
But over the next four minutes, the Blue Devils ran off 15 consecutive points to grab a 44-19 lead that they would push to 47-21 heading into the fourth period.
Model improved to 13-4 overall with the win,