Bears surge past Central into second place

By Andy Reed

andy.reed@lebanondemocrat.com

MT. JULIET — If one subscribes to the adage that a team wants to be on a roll going into tournament time, then Mt. Juliet is where it wants to be.

The Golden Bears won their fifth straight, and seventh in their last eight games, via a 57-46 decision over Wilson Central on Friday night.

Mt. Juliet was wallowing at 3-3 in District 9-AAA a month ago before beginning the current surge which has the Golden Bears as the No. 2 seed for the upcoming district tournament with a final 10-4 mark and 15-10 overall. MJ, which will play host to Riverdale in the regular-season finale Monday night, is expected to entertain Beech at 7 p.m. next Friday in the tourney opener.

Wilson Central, which shared first place for much of the season with Hendersonville, lost for the second time this week to finish a 19-8 regular season and 9-5 in the district, good for third place and an expected first-round home date with Gallatin next Friday.

The district meeting will be held Monday to finalize the brackets.

As far as this game was concerned, Central's only lead was 6-5 on a 19-footer from the wing by Jacob Williams.

John Mark Bell's putback put Mt. Juliet back in front and Nolan Chowbay's backdoor layup gave the Bears a 9-6 lead going into the second quarter.

Williams, who hit two three-pointers in leading Central with 14 points, kept the 'Cats in striking distance in the second. His triple brought Central within two before Hunter Gilbert hit a three from the corner for a 22-17 Mt. Juliet lead at halftime.

The Wildcats couldn't get a run started in the second half as Mt. Juliet widened the margin to 41-24 on a Nolan Chowbay triple from the wing to end the third quarter.

Chowbay, who again led Mt. Juliet in scoring off the bench with 21 points, including a pair of threes and 7-of-9 free throws, sank 6 of 8 from the line and eight points in the fourth as the Bears kept the 'Cats from getting any closer than 10 points.

Gilbert also drained a pair of threes in adding 10 points while Bell and Reagan Johnson each added eight, Thomas Sharpe and freshman Austin Brown four apiece and James Womack two as Mt. Juliet made 13 of 19 free throws.

Blake Huffman had all 11 of his points in the second half for Central while backup point guard Deante Miller dropped in eight of his 10 in the fourth quarter. Matthew Hall scored six points, Jon Rosshirt three and Ben Palmer two as the Wildcats connected on 5 of 8 from the free-throw line.

Hunn leads Lebanon victory in final home game

Likely playing his final game on the new Hester Gibbs Court, Zimmer Hunn hit three 3-pointers to help lead Lebanon to a 64-52 Senior Night win over visiting Portland on Friday night in Campbell Brandon Gym.

Hunn and DaShawn McMurry led a balanced offense with 12 points apiece while KeShawn Abston added 10 as Lebanon led from the first quarter on to finish a 10-16 regular season and 6-8 in District 9-AAA.

The Blue Devils are expected to snag the No. 5 seed in the district tournament and travel to Station Camp next Friday for a 7 p.m. first-round game. The brackets will be finalized during Monday's district meeting.

"We lost four games by three points or less in the league," said Lebanon coach Jim McDowell, whose Blue Devils dropped a pair of two-point losses to Station Camp during the season. "We would love to be playing this game at home. It's just a matter of making one play or shot or stop."

Lebanon led 16-7 following the first quarter and 36-22 at halftime before withstanding a 13-6 Portland third period which saw the Panthers pull within 42-35. The Blue Devils closed with a 22-17 fourth to send Hunn and fellow seniors Zach Santana and Clayton Barron out as winners on their year-old floor.

Julian Crutchfield added eight points for Lebanon while Kadarian Garnett scored seven, Yalen Reed six, Santana three and Barron, Jamel Officer and Eddie McDaniels two apiece.

Kedrick Howard hit a pair of three-pointers in pacing Portland with 19 points while Corbin Keen connected for four triples on his way to 16.

Tigers roar to Senior Night rout, run 8-A table

WATERTOWN — It wasn't Watertown's final home game, but the Purple Tigers gave their seven seniors a Senior Night to remember in a 72-45 trouncing of Trousdale County on Friday night.

The Tigers roared to a 26-8 first-quarter lead and were up 37-21 at halftime as they never looked back in climbing to 23-3 for the season, running the District 8-A table at 8-0.

Senior point guard Macieo Gaines scored 17 points to pace the Purple Tigers. Junior swingman Ty Jobe, one of the few non-seniors in the rotation, and senior Josiah Smith scored 12 points apiece with Jobe hitting a pair of three-pointers.

George Theragood scored seven points, Brandon George and Colin Jennings four each, Nolan Allison and Zach Edwards three apiece; Nick Sackman, Hunter Warren, Ben Bain and Bosco Allocco two each and Brant Martin and Dylan Speck a free throw apiece.

Dylan Hurst had 11 points to lead Trousdale County.

Watertown, which will play host to Pickett County this afternoon in a makeup game to end the regular season, is the top seed for next week's tournament at Trousdale County and will play Tuesday's Red Boiling Springs-Friendship Christian winner in next Friday's semifinals. The Tigers have already clinched a berth in the Region 4-A tournament, whose semifinals and finals will be held at WHS.

Heaston's 29 leads Friendship past Pickett

Allen Heaston's 29 points led Friendship Christian past visiting Pickett County 54-47 Friday night at the Bay Family Sportsplex.

The Commanders led 14-11 following the first quarter, 26-17 at halftime and 36-24 going into the fourth as the defending state champions finished an 8-13 regular season, winning four of their last six games to get to this point.

Sophomore big man Andrew Wood added 11 points, his third straight game in double figures, for Friendship. Zac Anderson scored six pints while Colton Gaines and Anthony Williams each finished with four.

Kyle Hughes, the target of Friendship's diamond-and-one defense, tossed in 12 points for the Bobcats, who will be at Watertown this afternoon for a matinee makeup game against the Purple Tigers.

Friendship is the No. 4 seed for the District 8-A tournament and will have to beat Red Boiling Springs at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Trousdale County to continue defense of its state title. The winner will catch Watertown in next Friday's semifinals.