JONESBOROUGH – Chuckey-Doak took on Providence Academy in the the 36th annual Hardee’s Classic at David Crockett High School on Saturday morning, and despite a tough attempt at a comeback the Black Knights fell 71-66.
“The effort was there. We played hard and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Chuckey-Doak coach Sam Broyles said. “They battled back a couple times and it’s hard when you’re on the other end of a game like that. There were two calls late that could have went either way and of course it went against us, and when you’re battling back from double digits that takes a lot out of you.”
Blake Lippard gave the Black Knights the early lead with a corner three, but Luke Gilman drained two corner threes of his own to give the Knights of Providence Academy a 10-7 lead at the five-minute mark.
Gavin Crum was hot early nailing triples on three consecutive possessions, Mason Morgan and Gilman kept pace and the first quarter ended with Providence up on the Black Knights 19-18.
The Black Knights hot hand cooled off in the second quarter and they fell behind by 10 at one point, but big Ben Palazzo was good from in front and then sank two free throws. Crum followed with another triple at the elbow and the Black Knights were back in business at 30-27 with about a minute and a half to go in the second quarter.
The Black Knights got a too physical at that point sending Providence to line on three consecutive trips up the court, and they made 4-of-6 at the stripe.
Logan Malone kept the Black Knights close with a corner trey. Morgan finished out the half with back-to-back runners in the lane, and Providence enjoyed a 38-30 lead at the break over Chuckey-Doak.
The third quarter started like a carbon copy of the second quarter and Providence stretched out the lead to 13 points at one point, 45-32. But once again Chuckey-Doak fought back. Rylan Grindstaff dropped a runner in the lane, went coast-to-coast for layup after a steal, and then cleaned up a missed shot for a tip in.
Knox McAmis had a put back, Grindstaff hit a short jumper and Dom Atchinson followed with a jumper in the lane with 17 seconds left in the third quarter. The Black Knights had closed the gap to 52-48 after three quarters of play.
Chuckey-Doak fell behind by double digits on three different occasions and made come backs but just couldn’t get over the hump.
That would be true again in the fourth quarter as Providence went on another spurt and took another double-digit lead at 59-48 before Grindstaff stopped the bleeding with a short jumper in the lane. That was the spark that Ignited yet another Black Knight comeback.
Grindstaff would score on the next two possessions, Palazzo scored down low the Grindstaff drilled a triple from the elbow to cut bring the Black Knights to within three at 61-58. That forced Providence coach George Pitts to call a timeout.
The Black Knights got a stop and McAmis dropped a game-tying triple from the elbow with two and a half minutes left in regulation.
Gavin Winfrey made two free throws to give the lead back to Providence, but McAmis sank a pair from the line to knot the score again at 63-63.
Crum stepped in front of a pass for the steal, and it looked as if the Black Knights would finally get over the hump with two teammates out in front of him, but as Crum made was making his move to pass, he and a Knight collided and Crum was surprisingly whistled for an offensive foul, giving the ball back to Providence. It was a call that changed the game with less than two minutes to play.
Gilman made a three from the corner to give Providence a three-point lead. After an empty possession the Black Knights were forced to foul and Providence made good on enough free throws to walk away with a 71-66 victory.
Grindstaff led the Black Knights with 21 points, Crum followed with 14 and Palazzo scored 10.
Gilman had 21 points for Providence Academy.
