One of the hotter teams at the beginning of the Region
2-AAAA boys basketball season played undoubtedly the hottest club going into
the 2-AAAA tournament Tuesday with one spot in the GHSA state tournament up for
grabs.
It turned out to be the Baldwin High Braves, which had a 5-1
record only to slump to seven losses in their last eight games, edging out the
Veterans High Warhawks and their seven-game winning streak 49-48 Tuesday at
Westside High in Macon.
It was also the Braves of Milledgeville, losers of both
regular-season games to Chris Kothe’s Warhawks, setting the pace for a majority
of the contest. Veterans trailed by 10, 35-25, to open the fourth quarter and
needed everything to go right for it and everything to go wrong for Baldwin.
In most of these last eight minutes, that’s exactly how it
played out. The fourth began with passes from Mike Leger to Bryan Hollis to
Malik Broughton. Jonathan Robertson had two early steals and Leger made one,
but by giving the ball away once the Warhawks still trailed 36-29.
One statistic that was evening out was the foul shooting.
Veterans missed its first six attempts, but Baldwin missed the mark on eight
straight.
Leger came up with a second steal, and this time Elijah
Milteer canned a 3-pointer for 36-32 at 5:25. Veterans had a few awkward but
beneficial bounces in the first half; when Robertson’s third steal became a
corner jumper, the basketball ricocheted from side to side before cutting the
margin down to two.
At 5:07, Robertson tied the game 36-36. Baldwin reclaimed
the lead on a takeaway slam (4:43), but Robertson’s fourth steal (on the
press), baseline penetration and then follow-in from Hollis’ miss forged
another tie.
The Warhawks led for the first time since the opening
quarter by making five foul shots (BH hit with a technical foul), and
Robertson’s open lay-in on the run had his team up four, 45-41.
Though Robertson had a fifth steal in the period, Baldwin
scored four in a row for 45-45 at 2:12. At 1:29, the Braves stole a rebound and
slammed their way to 47-46. The Warhawks had a crucial turnover, and in the
final minute Javonte Adams dribbled out of Broughton’s and Hollis’ double team
to find an open teammate (49-46).
Adams, with his team clinging to a one-point lead, missed
two free throws, and Veterans had 13.8 seconds to take the win. There was some
trouble getting the basketball over the time line, but Milteer got off a good
look at the buzzer from the top of the key.
The ball did not go in, bringing Veterans’ season to an end.
Robertson finished with 18 points, Hollis 10 and Broughton eight.
The first quarter ended at 8-6 in the Braves’ favor though
Broughton blocked three shots and Hollis one. Robertson had the first points of
the game at 5:14 on a baseline jumper on what was Veterans’ fourth offensive
rebound up to that point. Baldwin’s first basket was a 3-pointer at 3:23.
The Braves’ lead for the second period came courtesy of the
offensive glass. They extended a run to seven in a row (13-6) as for 2:30 the
Warhawks had nothing but giveaways. Broughton ended the run with a hook at
4:40. Hollis made his second block and had six of his points with a high-post
jumper at 1:25.
Baldwin’s lead was 19-13 when Veterans showed patience
against the zone for one final possession. Hollis scored at the last second
putting it at 19-15 for the half.
The Warhawks only got as close as two in the third quarter,
and that’s when Hollis opened it with a high-low assist to Broughton at the
onset. With a Hollis steal, Veterans had two takeaways that did not result in
tying points.
When Veterans had two turnovers, Baldwin shot right through
the press to cap a 5-0 spurt for 26-19. Daniel Rogers did a steal and score
under the basket, and Robertson converted in an up-tempo pace, but it was
Braves controlling the end of the quarter finding open shots and drawing fouls
for five more in a row and the 35-25 score.
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