Commandos pull away from Green Wave

GALLATIN The Hendersonville High boys basketball team is getting accustomed to winning.

The Commandos won on Tuesday for the third time in their last four outings, pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 62-49 victory at Gallatin.

Since the calendar turned to February, the Commandos (9-15 overall, 4-9 in District 9-AAA) have gained momentum in District 9-AAA play after suffering four consecutive losses in overtime during January’s action.

“We’ve talked about it, and we’re ready to make a change,” Commando senior guard Austin Kirby said. “We’ve come a long way. We’ve been close, and we’re ready to turn it over and start winning those games.”

Hendersonville outscored the Green Wave by a 22-11 margin in the final stanza, taking the lead for good on a layin from junior Jordan Amis with 6:21 remaining.

Kirby scored 26 points to lead all scorers, including 16 in the second half.

“He’s had a solid year for us,” Hendersonville head coach Kerry West said. “We’ve been ready for a breakout game, and I thought he did that tonight. He shot the ball well.”

Gallatin head coach Bobby Luna added, “Kirby was good. He shot the ball well. Amis was good finishing around the basket. (Preston) Brown and (Jason) Hernando and all those guys contributed and got some good things. They outplayed us.”

Although Gallatin (9-15, 5-8) never actually had a lead in the contest, the game was tied on seven different occasions, including during a six-minute sequence in the third quarter that saw Green Wave baskets even the score five times.

“It was one of those typical games,” West said. “We’d make a shot. Then, they’d make a shot.

"We got up by seven, and we got a couple of stops. One thing we hadn’t been doing is securing loose balls well. We’ve been giving teams second chances. Down the stretch, we didn’t give Gallatin that tonight."

Gallatin sophomore guard Zyun Mason scored 24 points to lead the Green Wave, with 16 of those coming in the first half. Mason had 10 in the second quarter as the Green Wave kept the contest close in the first half, trailing 24-22 at halftime.

“We had some decent shots around the basket that we didn’t convert tonight,” Luna said. “(Hendersonville) played better than we did tonight. Offensively, we wanted to create the tempo, because we knew we’d struggle with their size a little bit. It was pretty successful in the first half, but in the third quarter, they either scored or got a rebound and scored.”

Amis produced 12 points, and Brown and Hernando contributed 11 points each.

At the other end of the floor, they were trying something different.

“I think we played really well together.” Kirby said. “We’ve been trying out that new 2-3 (zone) defense, and I think that’s helping us a lot.”

Mason hit a 3-pointer with three seconds left in the third quarter as Hendersonville’s lead shrunk to two points (40-38) at the end of the period.

However, a 9-0 run helped the Commandos pull away and earn a split of the season series. Gallatin won the first meeting in double overtime at Hendersonville on Jan. 15, by a 72-69 margin.

Gallatin has lost four of its last five games.

“I think our biggest weakness is our lack of consistency,” Luna said. “(That is) not to be unexpected with a young team, but you certainly hope that by this point in the season that it’s not an issue anymore. It’s not lack of fight or desire or those types of things.”

Both teams conclude regular-season play on Friday. Hendersonville hosts Beech, while Gallatin hosts Station Camp.

Reach Chris Brooks at cbrooks@tennessean.com or at 615-575-7118. Follow him on Twitter @CB_SumnerSports.

HENDERSONVILLE (62) – Austin Kirby 26, Jordan Amis 12, Preston Brown 11, Jason Hernando 11, Ryne Loper 2.

GALLATIN (49) – Zyun Mason 24, Marlon Mitchell 8, Mark Brummett 7, Nigel Black 3, Collin Minor 3, Jordan Mason 2, Anthony Woods 2.

Half: 24-22, Hendersonville. Three-point goals: Hendersonville 8 (Kirby 4, Hernando 3, Brown 1), Gallatin 6 (Z. Mason 2, Mitchell 2, Black 1, Minor 1). Records: Hendersonville 9-15 overall, 4-9 in District 9-AAA; Gallatin 9-15, 5-8.