CLASS 4A, AREA 5: LAMP boys moves into area final with win over ACA
LAMP’s Jezreel Fishoe dribbles against Gerrod Green in the Golden Tigers’ win in the Class 4A, Area 5 semifinal game on Tuesday. The Golden Tigers advanced with a 49-30 win. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
The LAMP Golden Tigers took advantage of multiple defensive rebounds with high-speed offensive play to defeat Alabama Christian Academy 49-30 in the 4A Area 5 tournament in the LAMP gym on Tuesday night.
The scene now moves to another site for Friday’s area tournament championship game between LAMP and BTW Magnet. BTW considers Lanier’s Walker-Joiner Gym its home gym but had not settled on a site by Tuesday night.
In any case, both teams will advance to the sub-regional round on Tuesday at 6 p.m., with the winner of Friday’s area tournament game getting a sub-regional at home while the loser travels. Win or lose, the Golden Tigers will qualify for the state playoffs for only the fifth time in the program’s history (since 2001), a remarkable accomplishment for a team that has won just four games this season.
“Tonight, for us to not just win an area game, which is huge, but to win the game how we won it and to finish it the way we finished it, I’m really proud of these guys,” said LAMP coach Robb McGaughey.
For the Golden Tigers, Jezereel Fishoe led the team in scoring with 13 points. Nick Horris scored 12 points and Ezekiel Griffin scored 10 points. Riley Parker scored six points, followed by Landon Townsend with four. Smith Carter and Chance Cook each scored two points.
“Tonight, I saw growth on some of the things we’ve been working on,” McGaughey said.
“That’s really what I’ve been asking for, just keep playing, keep working. It isn’t instant gratification, its long term.”
For the Eagles, D’andre Sneed led the team in scoring with seven points, followed by Devin Mosely with six and Gerrod Green with four. Issac Warrick, Mac Moorer and Darrius Gardener all scored three points.
The Eagles held a one-point lead (7-6) at the end of the first quarter but the Golden Tigers used strong defensive rebounding to score multiple points and build a 22-17 lead at the half. The rebounds continued and the Golden Tigers used their high-speed offense to extend the lead to 37-20 after three quarters, despite the Eagles getting some good looks and playing solid defense. By the end of the game, the Golden Tigers had built and maintained a lead that the Eagles just couldn’t overcome.