Darlington basketball falls to Holy Innocents’
♦ Golden Bears hold off Tigers as season comes to a close.
Outside the first few minutes of the game, Darlington’s offense never found its offensive groove and the Tigers saw their season end 41-35 at the hands of the Holy Innocents’ Golden Bears during the Sweet 16 Saturday in Atlanta.
“I thought our guys all year long did a good job at always competing and playing hard. I never had to question their effort,” Tigers head coach Nathan West said. “We battled on the defensive end. We just struggled there offensively, couldn’t really get things going.”
The Tigers stole home-court momentum right out of the gates, grabbing hold of a 9-2 lead in the first quarter.
However, Holy Innocents’ offensive leader, Garrison Powell, got his team in gear as the Golden Bears closed the first quarter on a 15-2 run.
Powell scored 11 points in the first eight minutes and would lead all scorers with 21 points.
Braden Bell knocked down a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to bring Darlington within two points at the half, but aggressive defense by both squads saw the Tigers’ offense stagnate for much of the second half.
In the end, Powell knocked down critical free throws in the final minute of the fourth quarter to ice the game.
Patrick Shelley led Darlington with 15 points, including all five of the Tigers’ points in the fourth.
“We’ve got a lot to build from and just got to continue to grow as a program,” West said. “Overall, I’m proud of the guys and proud of the season that we were able to have.”
West said, following the contest, he made certain to communicate to his players how much he cared about them.
“Really let the seniors know how much I appreciate them, their time and commitment,” West said. “Let the younger guys know let it be a learning experience for you. I wanted them to embrace the feeling of defeat right there. Understand what you’re feeling right now, we don’t need to feel this anymore.”
West returns a majority of his team next year, which will feature six seniors in 2021-22.
“The most encouraging thing for me is as a program standpoint is ... we’ve gained a lot of experience this year,” West said. “The most encouraging thing ... really is our youth.”