Donovan Sims, Blackman boys stay poised amid opponents' best shots

Thanks to five consecutive trips to the Class AAA State Basketball Tournament, including a state title in 2014, Blackman's boys basketball team is used to being the team everyone wants to beat.

"Coach (Barry) Wortman tells us all the time that eyes are on us," said Blackman senior point guard and MTSU signee Donovan Sims. "We know everybody is going to come at us."

Riverdale did just that Friday night at Blackman in a 7-AAA matchup, coming within three points of the Blaze early in the third quarter before the hosts pulled away for a 63-41 victory.

"It was a typical league game," said Wortman, whose third-ranked squad improved to 6-0 in 7-AAA, 16-2 overall. "You see a team for the second or third time and they're going to make runs at you."

When those runs occur, Sims is a calming force for the Blaze.

"He's got great poise," Wortman said. "He controls the game. He picked up his fourth foul with six minutes to go, but he stayed out there and sparked us."

Blackman will have a showdown with fellow league unbeaten Oakland on Monday at home. Sims and the Blaze expect nothing but the Patriots' best.

"We've been doing it for a while," said Sims, referring to holding off other teams' best shots. "We prepare for this every day."

Sims finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Blackman. He hit two floaters during an 8-0 Blackman run midway through the third quarter that helped the hosts begin to pull away.

"Basketball is a game of runs," Sims said. "You just have to stay together and pull it out."

Trent Gibson finished with a team-high 17 points and five boards while Brandon Thomas added 10 points.

Riverdale (3-4, 7-12) was paced by Deron Perry's 13 points.

The girls' game was all Riverdale (6-0, 17-0) and McDonald's All-American Anastasia Hayes. The senior scored 36 points in an 88-62 victory over their rival Lady Blaze.

Riverdale hit nine 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 11 from behind the arc. Alexis Whittington added 16 points and Alasia Hayes 15 for the top-ranked Lady Warriors, who led 50-28 at halftime.

Blackman (2-4, 4-13) was paced by Taylor Freeman's 12 points and 10 from Ja'Leah Goff.

Reach Cecil Joyce at cjoyce@dnj.com or 615-278-5168 and on Twitter @Cecil_Joyce.