The South Greene boys didn’t play to their full potential, but still got the job done in a 64-54 win against Oneida on Saturday night to advance to the Region 1-2A semifinals.
South Greene struggled to find their footing in the first half. They never could seem to get the stops they were searching for on defense and trailed the whole time. The third quarter featured a nine-point deficit that was erased with a 14-0 run that the Rebels used to change the course of the game.
Chandler Gamble proved to be a difference maker again with a 22-point performance. His 12-point third quarter helped will them from behind and take the lead. “We finally got him on the block and got him the ball and got some easy buckets in the second half. We kind of got to rolling,” Head Coach Terry Hoese said.
Trey Gentry’s night should not go unnoticed either. The senior guard provided 18 points and essentially removed Oneida’s leading scorer from the game in the fourth quarter with lockdown defense. Grady Keaton scored a game-high 26 points, but he was limited to just six in the third and zero in the fourth quarter.
The Rebels advanced to the Region 1-2A semifinals for the fourth-consecutive season. They will meet up with Austin-East again for the second year in-a-row. They suffered a 71-57 loss in the same exact round last year.
For the Rebels, it will be about getting over the hump. Back in the semis for the fourth-straight year, they will be looking to advance to the championship game for the first time in ten years. “Onto Austin-East on Tuesday. I don’t know how many years we’ve been to this round and got punched. Got to figure out a way to get over that hump,” Hoese expressed.
Oneida controlled the whole first half from the opening tip. Grady Keaton opened with the Indians first six points and helped them run out to a 10-4 lead three minutes in. Jase Roderick was South Greene’s main source of offense with six points in the first and kept them close. He scored four-straight after a timeout to bring them within two. Trey Gentry helped take a two-point lead with a three-pointer, but a pair of layups from Keaton and Woody forced a lead change. Gentry completed an and-one play to end the first quarter with a 15-15 tie.
“They are not your typical six seed in most conferences. They’ve got some kids who can flat play,” Hoese stated.
Oneida’s Keaton was very effective in the first half and scored their first four of the second quarter to push them back in front.
An and-one play from Noah Wright and a pair of foul shots from Roderick tied the game later in the quarter, but Oneida wrapped up the half with a 7-0 run. Drayton Wade nailed a three before Keaton scored four-straight on two layups.
Oneida went into the half with all the momentum and a 31-24 lead.
The third quarter once again started with points from Keaton. He sank two free throws. South Greene scored five-straight with Gavin Dyer’s corner three and Trey Gentry’s transition layup, but Wade and Keaton responded with five-straight next to counteract their attack.
A switch was flipped midway through the third quarter and the Rebels sprang to life. Chandler Gamble especially came to life and scored six-straight. He grabbed his own miss and laid it back up, notched another layup in transition, and made it past his free throw woes to knock down a pair.
Charlie Lane’s defense was pivotal in the third quarter. He blocked a shot that led to a Jase Roderick layup and set up for a charge in the paint that erased a layup and gave South Greene all the momentum.
Cayden Fillers grabbed an offensive rebound and flipped it back to Gentry for a layup to finally give South Greene another lead. Gamble’s and-one followed Lane’s charge and grew the lead to five. The Indians helped stop the run with a Keaton layup and Shoemaker three.
The Rebels held a 45-43 lead going into the fourth.
Ben Gilbert quickly tied it with a layup before South Greene took back over and scored ten-straight. Gentry hit a layup in transition, Gamble sank a long two-pointer, Fillers scored his first points with a layup, Gamble scored with another lay in, and Roderick ended the run with a steal that led to a mid-range bucket. Gilbert briefly ended the run with a free throw before the Rebels scored five-straight.
After scoring 20 points in the first half, Grady Keaton was slowed down in the third and completely shut down in the fourth. He was held to six in the third and held scoreless in the fourth.
“People don’t have a clue what took place that second half. Trey Gentry absolutely locked him down. That was the defensive difference in the basketball game,” Hoese stated.
South Greene’s 15-1 run became a pivotal stretch in the game that almost single-handedly won it for the Rebels. They were able to sit on their lead and do enough to ride that wave to the finish.
The Rebels came out on top 64-54 to advance to Tuesday’s Region 1-2A semifinals.
“They’re good. Hats off to them. They pushed us farther than I wanted to be pushed that’s for sure,” Coach Hoese said.
Chandler Gamble led the Rebels with 22 points. Trey Gentry delivered 18 while Jase Roderick had 12.
South Greene will play Austin-East on Tuesday at 6:00 at Unicoi County High School. The winner advances to Thursday’s Region Championship.
