BOYS BASKETBALL

South Side boys rally past Fayette-Ware

Craig Thomas
cthomas2@jacksonsun.com

If anyone thought South Side hadn’t earned its hype, hadn’t passed a truly tough test in this 2015-16 season, what happened Saturday in Jackson should put that idea away for good.

It’s one thing to trail by 14 in the first quarter, as the Hawks did at Fayette-Ware three weeks ago. It’s another to be down that much to Fayette-Ware in the third quarter, as was the case Saturday night.

A win the first time, and a win the second.

No. 1 South Side improved to 21-0 after, improbably enough, rallying from a second-half, double-digit deficit to beat Fayette-Ware 56-52.

“Well, you know, everybody’s talking about an undefeated season, but I’m concerned about winning a state championship,” South Side coach DaMonn Fuller said. “And we’re going to do whatever it takes to get there.”

The Hawks (21-0, 9-0) were down as much as 14 points early in the second half and trailed by 13 a couple times after that.

PHOTO GALLERY: Boys' Basketball - Fayette-Ware at South Side

Trailing by seven with 4:36 left in the game, South Side fought back. Josh Greer drove to the basket for a bucket.

A Fayette-Ware (18-7, 7-2) player received a technical after his team was called for a foul on the next South Side possession, so Bryce McBride went to the line for four free throws.

That’s Bryce as in “ice,” and he looked cool as could be sinking all four without so much as a bounce on the rim.

Missing guard Dee Crews as he recovers from an injury, South Side leaned on McBride and other players to handle the ball more. (Crews should be back next week.) The Hawks struggled to make shots and were a bit unorganized at times, but it didn’t cost them.

“Bryce is just a sophomore, did a great job tonight for us as a 10th grader,” Fuller said.

Tedrick Hughes scored at the rim to put South Side ahead before D.J. Jackson answered to give Fayette-Ware a 51-50 lead with 3:08 left. It was the Wildcats’ last field goal of the game.

After Greer went 1-for-2 at the line, Hughes blocked a shot and McBride fed Keyon Jones on the fast break for a 53-51 lead, and a crowd that sensed victory roared as it hadn’t all night.

Mikkel Norment, who led all scorers with 19 points and hit six 3-pointers, almost flipped the script. The Wildcat guard drew a foul on a 3-point attempt with 21 seconds left and the score 54-51 South Side, but he made only the third free throw.

McBride followed by going 2-for-2 at the line, and that was that.

“Kids just being resilient,” Fuller said. “We had a tough, tough night today shooting. It just seemed like everything broke down tonight. But they carried it together and we finally started doing some of the things we like doing and enjoy doing and we ended up pulling the game out.”

Josh Greer led South Side with 12 points and Kameron Rose added 11. Hughes and McBride each scored nine.

Jackson scored 14 points and Kederrion Rosser 10 for Fayette-Ware.

Girls

South Side 83, Fayette-Ware 35

Kiya Sain led four Lady Hawks in double figures with 16 points as South Side had no trouble earning a season sweep of the Lady Wildcats.

Tamia Curry scored 15 points, Quanardra Miller 12 and Alexis Miller 11 for South Side (16-7, 8-1).

Corteshia Jackson led Fayette-Ware with 10 points.

Craig Thomas, 425-9634