'Canes knock out cold Warriors

GAINESVILLE - Winning in the state playoffs is as much about timing as talent.

You don't have to convince the White County boys basketball team.

The Warriors had their worst shooting game of the year in a disappointing 62-58 loss to Cartersville in the first round of the Class AAA tournament at the Gainesville High gym Saturday night.

"You can't explain things like that," White County coach Todd Cottrell said. "But we picked a bad time for us to not hit shots. We're all disappointed. What can I say."

Cartersville moves on to play Banneker Thursday night. Banneker is only Class AAA team to beat East Hall this season.

The Warriors (22-7) started strong jumping out to an 18-12 lead after the first quarter but struggled the rest of the way. They missed eight straight 3-point shots and the Purple Hurricanes (15-13) took advantage using a 20-7 second quarter for a 32-25 lead to take control of the game.

White County seemed to get back in the game with a 10-4 run early in the third quarter to cut it to 38-35. But Cartersville answered with an 8-0 run for a 46-35 lead.

"We didn't stop the ball very well. Our pressure just wasn't as tight as we would've liked it to be," Cottrell said.

Cartersville coach Mike Pauley felt that was a key coming into the game.

"We felt like we could break down their pressure and we did a good job most of the game. We hit some big shots that stopped their late runs," he said.

The Warriors made their last run after falling down 55-45 midway through the fourth quarter. Weston Fuller hit one and then Heath Vinson drilled two straight 3-pointers to spark a 13 -4 run to pull within 59-58 with 1:01 left.

But Cartersville hit 3-of-4 free throws and White County missed five attempts to either tie the game or get closer in the final 20 seconds.

"I feel bad for the seniors because this is not how they wanted it to end. They were a great group for four years and we're going to miss them," Cottrell said.

Vinson finished with 20 points to lead the Warriors. Jeff Belflower chipped in with 10.

Cartersville senior Roman Gilliam, who broke down the White County defense repeatedly in the third quarter, finished with 21 points. Montevio Fezzia had 18 and A.T. Barnes 12 for the Hurricanes.