Mitchell overcomes slow start

Tigers advance to state again

So much for a lethargic first-half of shooting.

The Mitchell boys basketball team seized its second consecutive trip to the state tournament with a decisive 59-42 victory against Jackson Liberty Tech Monday night in the TSSAA Class AA sectional.

Before a standing-roomonly crowd in Mitchell’s Andre Turner Arena, the Tigers overcome a disastrous first half in which they failed to convert a field goal during the game’s opening 6:23 and ended the first quarter by shooting a frigid 2- of-12 from the field.

“Well, that’s us,” Mitch- ell coach Faragi Phillips said. “You see why I didn’t jump up and call timeout like most coaches do. We just stayed with it and grind it out and played through it.”

In winning their fifth straight, the Tigers (23-7) had to overcome a poor first-half display in which they shot just 20 percent from the field (5-of-25 field goals) and trailed by as many as nine against a Liberty team that was denied its fourth consecutive trip to the state tournament.

The Tigers, last year’s Class AA state runnersup, quickly regrouped in the pivotal third quarter in which they made 8-of13 shots and assumed their first lead on a Naba Echols 3-point basket with 5:21 remaining in the period. Mitchell never relinquished the lead, and instead outscored a seemingly undersized and fatigued Crusader squad 18-8 in the third that translated into a 41-33 advantage with eight minutes remaining.

Jeremiah Martin scored a team-high 17 points, Echols added 16 points, and Khalill Spencer had 14 for Mitchell, which bested Liberty Tech (23-11) in the state semifinals last year. Daniel Hill was the lone player to reach double figures for Liberty Tech with a game-best 20 points.

“It was hard because we had six seniors last year,” Mitchell senior shooting guard Mario McNeil said. “But this year, we have a young group, but were determined not to lose.”

The Tigers continued to pour it on in the final frame, taking their first double-digit lead on Cortez Wallace’s fast break layup at the 3:23 mark and used an 11-0 run to end the game. Just like last year’s sectional win that earned the Tigers a trip to Murfreesboro, Phillips allowed his players to cut down the nets after the game.

“We just want to savor the moments and speak those kinds of things into existence,” Phillips said. “We’ll celebrate this one until after the (state tournament draw) this weekend and then it’s back to work.”

IN ANOTHER AA SECTIONAL

Jackson South Side advanced to state with a 6657 win over Sheffield. The Knights trailed at halftime but took a 38-33 lead early in the third quarter before South Side rallied to get the win.

Sheffield junior Terrance Smith led the Knights (21- 8) with 22 points. Jaylon Smith and Broderick Davis had 11 apiece, and Toderick Davis added 10.