The West Greene boys started fast and finished strong, but through the middle portion of the game they had to ty to keep up with Cherokee. Nevertheless, the Buffaloes defended their home court for the final time this regular season with a 58-46 win.
“We came out and had a really good first three minutes, but then we gave them all of the momentum,” West Greene coach Allen Tolliver said. “We got the lead back in the third quarter and then we got back in control. I’m proud of the effort and I’m proud of their willingness to fight back. Overall, I’m glad to get this win. Hopefully we can carry this momentum into a key district game with Chuckey-Doak tomorrow.”
Cherokee scored the first points on Monday, but then West Greene scored the next 12 points and looked like it might run away from the Chiefs. Elijah Williams and Braden McCamey each knocked down three-pointers in the early stretch. Then Ayden Lamons turned a steal into a breakaway dunk with for a 12-2 lead with 5:22 left in the opening period.
After that Cherokee seemed to find new life and Gabe Catron got things started with a reverse layup. Landon Jeffers sank a pair of triples in the final 1:17 to cut West Greene’s lead down to 15-14.
In the second quarter Cherokee moved in front 18-15 when Jaxon Markham laid one off the glass.
West Greene tied the score at 23-23 when Tytus Shelton made two free throws, but it would not play from in front for the rest of the first half.
Cherokee’s Grayson Hughes ended the first half with a three-pointer from the corner that gave the Chiefs a 29-25 lead at the break.
West Greene found a new gear when the teams flipped ends of the floor and started the third quarter on a 12-4 run to take a 37-33 lead. The half started with Sam Wisecarver finding Conner Campbell wide open in the lane for a layup.
The Chiefs may have forgotten about Campbell because he spent most of the first half on the bench with two fouls, but in the second half he was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and led the Buffaloes with 16 points.
“Conner didn’t miss a shot in the second half. He had 16 second-half points with no misses and that was great to see,” Tolliver said. “He has been impacting the game in other ways, but he hasn’t been shooting as well from the outside. So, to see him go 4-for-4 from three was really good to see.”
West Greene took the lead with 6:01 left in the third quarter when a steal by Williams led to a three-pointer from Wisecarver that made the score 32-31.
That lead grew to 37-33 when McCamey made a pair of free throws. Cherokee tied the game once more at 37-37 when Braxton Marham sank a midrange jumper.
West Greene went to the fourth quarter leading 40-39.
It did not take long for that lead to grow and after Campbell hit from behind the arc three times the Buffs held a 52-42 advantage.
Then on the defensive end of the floor the Buffs only allowed seven points in the fourth quarter which kept the Chiefs from making any sort of run in the closing minutes.
Cherokee to cut the lead to 52-46 on a layup by Noah Seals with 2:33 left to play, but West Greene went on to score the final six points.
The Buffaloes spread the scoring around on Monday with all five starters scoring eight or more points. Campbell led the way with 16 points while Wisecarver and Lamons each had 10 points. McCamey and Williams both scored eight points.
“Three guys in double digits and two guys with eight, that kind of balance can do a lot of work for us in the postseason,” Tolliver said. “This team isn’t selfish. They just want to get points on the board and they want to win, they don’t care who scores.”
Jeffers led Cherokee on Monday with 16 points.
