GAINESVILLE — For two days running the Gainesville boys basketball team has been conducting its own version of the Lanierland Tournament.
The Red Elephants on Friday took down Flowery Branch, the champions of the 56th annual event two weeks ago, and on Saturday they demolished arch-rival and Lanierland finalist East Hall 89-53 at the Gainesville gym.
The Red Elephants did not play in the annual holiday tournament event two weeks ago due to a self-imposed suspension. Many in the area felt they were the odds-on favorite.
Was there a collective chip on their shoulders to show they are the best team in Hall County?
“Not really. We didn’t think about any of that,” said senior Messiah Dorsey, who paced 12 Gainesville scorers with 19 points and four steals. “We’re just competing hard in practice and focusing on ourselves. But it felt good to beat them, for sure.
The game was in doubt only briefly as the teams traded three lead changes to go with two ties in the first three minutes with Gainesville holding a slim 8-7 lead. The Red Elephants went on the first of two offensive explosions closing out the first quarter on a 22-5 run to lead 30-12.
Gainesville did not let up in the second quarter using a 14-5 spurt to lead by 30 points, 51-21, with just under a minute to go in the half. They took a 53-24 lead into the intermission.
Gainesville coach Benjie Wood, who was not pleased after Friday’s narrow win over Flowery Branch, was singing a different tune on Saturday.
“That was much better,” he said. “The kids came out with better energy and focus. Not playing in Lanierland didn’t have anything to do with how we prepared for either of the games. Flowery Branch and East Hall deserved to be there and are outstanding teams.
“We told (our kids) you don’t have win championships to be champions. I think they’re learning how to be the best people they can be.”
The Red Elephants dismissed any notions of an epic comeback holding the Vikings (10-5) to another 12-point quarter in the third opening up an 81-33 lead.
Tae Turner added 15 points with D’Marcus Simonds pouring in 13 for Gainesville. Bailey Minor and Harry Oliver each had 11 points for the Red Elephants.
Dorsey and Turner were huge catalysts for Gainesville hounding the East Hall guards the entire game.
“They are a big part of what we do and when they play like that it realy makes our defense that much better,” Wood said.
East Hall was led by 13 points from Tylor Brown. Andy Lara added 10 and Luke Holtzclaw had nine for the Vikings.
GAINESVILLE GIRLS 47
EAST HALL 33
The Lady Red Elephants (11-3) exacted a measure of revenge against their arch-rivals.
It was a sloppy game from both teams, who were coming off big emotional wins on Friday.
Gainesville coach Brenda Hill-Gilmore said it showed as the teams were locked in a defensive battle most of the way.
“I don’t think either team was at its best,” Hill-Gilmore said. “I thought we did played well defensively. To hold them to (just 33) was an excellent effort.”
The 33 points was a season-low for the Lady Vikings (13-4) whose only loss over a 10-game stretch had been to Class AAAAA No. 2 Flowery Branch (72-49) in the Lanierland finals.
Gainesville (11-3) took the last of five first half lead changes on a Breana Fair basket early in the second quarter and never trailed again. That came during a six-minute stretch where East Hall coach Justin Wheeler appeared to be bench all but one starter.
The Lady Vikings subs erased an 8-4 Gainesville lead with a pair of Jenny Moore free throws and a Macy Thomas 3-pointer to grab a 9-8 lead with 1:06 left in the first quarter. But Gainesville was eventually able to take advantage.
Fair gave the Lady Red Elephants a 12-9 at the end of the first quarter but Skylar Wiley tied it at 12 for East Hall moments into the second quarter. Gainesville answered with a 9-0 run for a 21-12 lead, capped a Brown basket with 3:39 left in the half.
Thomas cut the lead to 21-15 on her second 3-pointer and Gainesville took a 22-16 lead into halftime after the teams traded single free throws. East Hall got as close as 26-21 early in the third quarter but Gainesville used an 8-2 run to pull away for a 34-23 lead and took a 38-27 lead into the fourth quarter.
East Hall pulled within 40-32 on a pair of Carly Winters free throws but the Lady Red Elephants closed out the game with a 7-1 run to put the game away.
Taylor Hawks led Gainesville with 14 points and had six steals. Shikiya Brown added eight points and Tija Blackwell had five points and 12 rebounds for the Lady Red Elephants.
Winters led East Hall with eight points, all coming in the second half. Macy Thomas added seven points for the Lady Vikings. The Gainesville defense held Jenny Edwards, Ashlyn Ellison, and Kayla Mize to just 13 combined points for the game.
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