Warner Robins Demons hold off Canes in VH tourney finals

For the second time in three years, Jamaal Garman and the

Warner Robins High basketball Demons stand tall as boys champions of the

Shane’s Rib Shack Veterans Christmas Tournament.

The challenge was more than formidable Saturday as Rutland High

came in with a lot of momentum from its semifinal win against Perry. In that

game, the Hurricanes scored 39 fourth-quarter points to turn a three-point

deficit into a 97-85 win.

But substitute Carlos Scott, of whom Garman needed some

production when starting guard Juvaun Shine fouled out, had 20 points and a big

second half to pace Warner Robins to the win 72-66. This was a game with as

many lead changes as dribbles and passes.

Freshman Marquez Callaway was named Most Valuable Player. He

had 13 points Saturday. With a lot of yeoman’s type work, Nathan Curtis and Sam

Harris each gave the Demons 12 points.

Shine sank two 3-pointers in the first period straight off

of steals by both himself and backup forward Donovan Brown. Rutland guard Tylik

Evans did his usual masterful job of taking control in giving the Hurricanes

their biggest lead, 12-6.

Evans, however, made the mistake of throwing the ball into a

crowd, and Callaway took it the other way for 2. Shine, on his second steal,

fed the fresh Scott for 2 more and a 12-10 score. As the Hurricanes began to

sputter from the floor, the defense of Brown and Callaway extended the Warner

Robins run to nine straight. Harris went baseline at the 20-second mark, and

Rutland had an answer before the buzzer on the offensive glass to trail by one,

15-14.

Curtis and Josh King displayed good high-low execution, King

getting a three-point play and 18-16 edge for Warner Robins. At 4:54, Scott

stepped back to get a corner trey (21-18), and as Harris’ ‘dirty work’ on the

offensive glass paid off, the Demons were on their way to a double-digit lead.

Rutland was letting its offensive woes affect its overall

play, and Harris charged passed the defense to get his own three-point play. As

Rutland was one-and-done at the 2:30 mark, Warner Robins streaked out to a lead

of 30-19.

The explosive potential of the Hurricanes didn’t stay hidden

as they enjoyed three scoring possessions in a row. Off an Evans steal, his

team scored five times out of six tries to tie the game. Harris, though, was

still working underneath, and his third-chance shot made it a 33-31 game at the

half.

King opened the third quarter with two transition field

goals, one assited by Harris from a Curtis block. No sooner than Curtis put the

Demons up five, 41-36, from the offensive boards that Rutland tied the game on

a takeaway trey.

The Hurricanes pulled out another 5-0 run following a Harris

put-back. It was the first lead for Rutland in the half, but it didn’t last as

Callaway sank a 3 with 15 seconds on the clock. The Canes used that remaining

time to find a 3 of their own, so it was knotted up, 51-51, with eight more

minutes of basketball left.

Rutland missed its first five shots, but the WR offense only

produced a penetration score by Harris to Curtis. With its sixth possession,

Rutland went ahead 54-53. The Canes then answered Scott’s field goal at 4:20.

But with a missed lay-up Curtis forged another tie at 57-all.

Even with plays by Shine and Scott in a 5-0 run, Rutland’s

press caused problems. Another big Demon lead was gone, and in fact the Canes

led 65-64 at 1:42.

Twelve seconds later, Rutland had the ball on a takeaway. It

took 11 for Warner Robins to get it back and Callaway sank the deciding

3-pointer at 1:02. At 37.7 seconds, Scott’s second three-point play iced it at

70-65.

• Perry High’s K.J. Smith had 23 points in the Panther loss

to Rutland. He came back with 25, 17 in the second quarter, to lead Perry to a

third-place finish, 83-55, against Hawkinsville.

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