GAINESVILLE — It wasn't so much that Gainesville won, rather it was how the Red Elephants dispatched Pope that proved so encouraging to coach Benjie Wood in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs.
"That was probably the most unselfish Gaineseville team I've seen since I've been here," Wood said after watching his Red Elephants demolish Pope 83-47 on Saturday in Gainesville. "We didn't shoot exceptionally well, but the guys stuck with it and stuck to the process and then spread the ball around."
Indeed, five different Red Elephants finished in double-digit scoring -- often thanks to their work underneath the basket, as Gainesville out-rebounded the Greyhounds 43-18 when the game still featured front-line players. In fact, the Red Elephants (21-6) emptied the bench with two minutes to go and played a mercy-rule shortened six-minute fourth quarter thanks to a 68-37 lead through the third.
"Everybody wants to play a lot of minutes, but our kids absolutely sold out tonight, and it was impressive," Wood said.
Gainesville moved on to the Sweet 16, where it will play host to Alexander out of Douglasville at 7 p.m. Wednesday, and the Red Elephants will look to continue the play that has seen them win 18 straight.
"Our kids have been here (in the state tournament) and know what to expect; they did a great job tonight coming in and saying, 'OK, we've got to focus.' And we need to keep that up," Wood said.
The hosts opened with an 8-0 run only to watch the Greyhounds (18-10) pull within 11-8 midway through the first quarter. It proved Pope's high-tide, however, as the Red Elephants' defensive and rebounding tidal wave overwhelmed the visitors from there. Raphael Rubel drilled three first quarter 3-pointers and Bailey Minor scored six points to help spark Gainesville's offensee.
Meanwhile, the Red Elephants forced 15 turnovers over the final 10 minutes of the first half to pull away, leading 51-27 at the interval.
KJ Buffen, who scored a game-high 16 points for Gainesville, also began to dominate inside in the second quarter and scored 13 points on either side of halftime. Rubel finished with 13, while Minor and Jarrell Rosser added 10. Griffin Neville aso put up 14 off the bench, as the sophomore shooter drilled four treys -- one at the end of the first half and three inside the final two minutes of the game.
"He did the same thing down at Buford with three threes," Wood said of Neville. "He's very capable. It's hard to get him in with so many guys, but his job when he gets in is to shoot it."
DAWSON COUNTY BOYS 66,
MONROE AREA 53
The Tigers (19-9) ran through the first round 3A state playoffs on Saturday in Dawsonville.
Campbell Reed led Dawson County with 17 points, while Gallenkamp added 15 points and 6 rebounds. Cullen Reed also added 13 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, while Jeremiah Crumley scored 10 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and provided 7 assists. Kane Pelfrey also chipped in with 6 points.
The No. 2-seeded Tigers travel to face Region 5-AAA champion Cedar Grove in the Sweet 16, time and day to be announced.
HART COUNTY BOYS 65,
EAST HALL 50
The Vikings (17-12) saw their season come to an end in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs in Hartwell on Saturday.
East Hall battled throughout in a game that was tied 14-14 after the first quarter. The home-standing Bulldogs edged ahead 31-29 at the half and led 47-42 after three quarters before pulling away over the final eight minutes.
Luke Cooper scored a game-high 20 points to pace the Vikings, while Kylan Curry added 10. Jayvion Rucker also put up 8 points.
Elijah Robinson led the Bulldogs with 17 points, while Shone Webb added 15.
