Knights fall to Chattahoochee in Big Red Shootout

GAINESVILLE -- It was an all-too-familiar scene for Johnson boys basketball coach Jeff Steele Thursday.

Defensive miscommunication and missed opportunities in the fourth quarter wasted a solid third quarter in a frustrating 66-63 loss to Class AAAAAA Chattahoochee in the Big Red Shootout at the Gainesville High gym.

The Knights (10-3) had rallied from a five-point second quarter deficit to take a 59-50 lead with just 3:52 left in the game. But they would commit three straight turnovers, allow two second-chance baskets in consecutive possessions, and hit just 9-of-16 free throws for the game.

"It's the same thing in every loss," Steele said. "It's frustrating because I feel we should have won this game against a (Class AAAAAA) school. Hopefully we'll learn from this."

Johnson came into the game on the heels of a gut-wrenching 48-47 loss to North Hall last week in the Lanierland Tournament finals in similar fashion.

The frustration seemed apparent for Steele because Johnson played a near-flawless third quarter to erase a 32-31 Chattahoochee lead at halftime. The Knights opened the second half with a 6-0 run and then put together a 9-0 run late in the period, capped by a three-point play from Ty Cockfield, to run out to a 48-40 lead.

But the Cougars (6-4) rode the hot hand of Markus Terry in the fourth quarter. The senior guard scored 16 of his 27 points in the period, including seven in a 9-0 run to tie the game at 59 with 2:12 left in the game. He would drain a wide-open 3-pointer with 1:03 left to give them the lead for good, 64-63.

"We had done a good job all game of holding him down and then we give up two open shots. Then we can't get a rebound on a missed free throw," Steele said. "You have to make those kinds of plays to beat good teams. We didn't."

With the score 64-63 with 24 seconds left, Cougars' senior center Trey Archumbeau missed the front-end of a one-and-one attempt but two Johnson players could not gain possession and Archumbeau found the loose ball and then sank two free throws with 21 seconds left.

The Knights had a chance to tie the game at the end but missed two 3-pointers in the final five seconds.

"I still feel good about our team," Steele said. "If we can eliminate these little mistakes at key times, we're a tough team to beat."

After trading baskets the first three minutes of the game, Chattahoochee used a 10-2 run to take a 16-8 lead late in the first quarter. The Knights would respond with a 6-2 run over the final 2:05 to pull within 18-12.

The Cougars would open up a 24-18 lead midway through the second quarter but again Johnson would respond with a 10-2 run, capped by a James Hodges basket, to reclaim the lead, 28-26. Rod English would finish the first half scoring with a basket to pull Johnson within 32-31 at halftime.

Ty Cockfield then heated up in the third quarter for the Knights. The sophomore guard scored six straight points to open the second half to give Johnson a 37-32 lead and the Knights would answer an 8-2 Chattahoochee run with their 9-0 spurt.

English would finish with 16 points to lead Johnson. Cockfield added 13 points and seven assists, and Drew Dunham and Montrell McKenzie had 12 apiece for the Knights. McKenzie also pulled down 14 rebounds to record his 13th straight double-double to start the season.

Archumbeau finished with 28 points to lead all scorers for Chattahoochee.

The Cougars next will take on Collins Hill, which beat Dunwoody in the first round, in the tournament semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Johnson will play Dunwoody at 11:30 a.m. Friday in the consolation round.