Holidays. The "season of giving". The Perryville boys basketball team took that phrase a little too literally Friday. The Panthers squandered a 23-point halftime lead and lost 60-58 to Harford Tech in the first round of the Green Bracket in the 18th Annual Green -N- Gold Boys High School Holiday Basketball Tournament hosted by Cecil College.
"They gave up a 20-point lead and they didn't play basketball in the second half," Perryville coach Charles Givens Sr. said of his squad. "Everybody played poorly and there's no way in the world you can coach that." With the Cobras benching several players for the first quarter because they had broken team rules, Perryville stormed out to a 10-0 advantage and led 15-4 at the end of the first quarter. Even with those players back in the second quarter, the Panthers extended their lead. Consecutive three-pointers by Tony Smith and Elijah Johnson made it 26-4 and Perryville led 29-4 before Tech finally got on the board with 2:34 to play in the quarter. The Panthers led 33-10 at halftime. Game over? Not even close. The Cobras climbed to within 41-29 at the end of the third quarter and needed just 2:24 of the fourth to tie the game at 43. It went back-and-forth the rest of the way. Tech took their first lead at 47-45 with 4:48 to go on a basket by the diminutive and dynamic Darius Dangerfield. After a basket and free throw by the Panthers' Tyleke Johnson, Dangerfield fed Hunter Norcross for a basket and then a Dangerfield layup upped the Cobras' edge to 53-50. Following two free throws each by TyRell Hollingsworth and Dangerfield, Perryville tied it when Hollingsworth hit the first of two free throws and Johnson had a rebound and putback after the second one missed to re-tie the game at 55 with 1:36 left. Johnson came up big on the defensive end to get the ball back but Dangerfield stole the ball from a Panthers and went in for the go-ahead layup with 42 seconds left. Hollingsworth countered quickly to tie it and Tech turned it over with 22.2 seconds remaining. Hollingsworth hit one of two free throws to put Perryville ahead 58-57 with 20.8 to go. The Panthers appeared to be in good position when Elijah Johnson stole the ensuing inbounds pass but he missed a runner and Tyleke Johnson lost possession after initially grabbing an offensive rebound. The Cobras' Chance Rollins was fouled while dribbling upcourt. His first free throw bounced high off the rim and in and also also sank the second to give Tech a 59-59 edge with 11.1 to go. Perryville never got a chance to take a game-winning shot. The Panthers turned the ball over and Tech hit a free throw with .2 remaining to account for the final score. At halftime, Givens said he reminded his team the game was not over. "They've always heard from me numerous times that even though you have a lead there's time left in the game," said Givens. "But they, collectively, missed rebounds, collectively didn't hustle, collectively did things they shouldn't have done. And to add to that, this is the third game in which they missed 16 foul shots. The game before [they missed] 17. The game before that [they missed] 16. Could've made a difference down the stretch. Didn't." Hollingsworth led the Panthers with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Tyleke Johnson collected 14 points, 10 boards, and three blocks. Smith finished with 11 points and Elijah Johnson added 10. The Panthers have a quick turnaround with the consolation game set for 3 p.m. Saturday. Givens said the it will be the players' responsibility to perform better. "I don't play to do anything," Givens said. "If they play to do anything it will be up to them to improve their game. It's getting to the point now where I've got to be cocky. I've been in this business too long and I'm here for the kids but they've got to bring something to the table, too. Can't always be me." Comments are closed.
|
Categories
All
Archives
December 2018
|