GAINESVILLE — Rivalries can certainly bring out the passion in the fans. It also can unlock the critical in coaches.
That seemed to be the consensus after the Gainesville boys' 57-47 win over East Hall Monday night at the Gainesville gym to conclude a day-long celebration on MLK Day.
Gainesville coach Chuck Graham was so not impressed by his team’s win he called a late-night practice afterwards. However, the win was the Red Elephants’ (9-11) ninth win in 10 games after an 0-10 start.
“East Hall brought the fight to us and we did well at times responding and other times we were really sloppy,” Graham said. “We can’t get caught in the trap of just winning games. We need to be playing well.”
East Hall’s Seth Thompson wore the frustrations of what is now an eight-game losing streak for the Vikings (5-15) and the loss was also their 12th straight to their cross-town rivals. The last East Hall win in the series came on Feb. 4, 2012.
“The kids played hard and I liked their energy,” Thompson said. “We’re playing a little bit better but it’s also frustrating because a lot of games (in the streak) we’ve stayed close but lose by 8 to 10 points.”
East Hall never led as Gainesville jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the first 90 seconds, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Donsha Gaither. The Vikings fought back to within 10-7 over the next two minutes on the strength of a pair of Christian Torres baskets.
East Hall then got within 14-12 on a TJ Campbell trey but the Red Elephants’ Lake Shelton hit his own 3-pointer to spark a 5-2 run for a 19-14 lead to end the opening period. Gainesville then got defensive in the second quarter.
The Red Elephants held East Hall to just four points while rolling out to a 31-18 lead. Luke Blackburn, Gaither, and Robert Reisman all hit 3-pointers to fuel the run.
Gainesville again jumped on the Vikings to open the third quarter running out to a 38-23 lead on a steal and layup from Eli Pitts. But the Vikings responded again pulling within 41-35 on a pair of Imre Earles free throws early in the fourth quarter.
But Gainesville answered that with an 11-3 spurt capped two Pitts free throws. East Hall got back within 52-45 on a Clete Cooper 3-pointer with 1:13 left but no closer.
Pitts paced Gainesville with 18 points, 8 coming in the fourth quarter. Reisman added 11 points and Gaither finished with 7 for the Red Elephants.
“We didn’t take a step back (tonight) but I don’t think we got better either,” Graham said. “With the region tournament coming soon we have to keep getting better.”
For East Hall, Torres led the way with 11 points. Cooper and Malachi Vance each had 8 points for the Vikings.
“We’re going to keep working,” Thompson said. “We want to be peaking at (region) tournament time and that’s our goal.”
EAST HALL GIRLS 59,
GAINESVILLE 34
It was a game of runs with the Lady Vikings taking the final decisive one over the second and third quarters.
East Hall (8-13) shot a blistering 11-of-25 from 3-point range, sparked by Callie Dale’s six treys and 18 points. Alexis Burce knocked down two 3-pointers and had 19 points to lead East Hall. Audrey Griffin hit a pair of treys for part of her 13 points.
East Hall coach Justin Wheeler said his young group, which featured two freshmen and two sophomores on the floor most of the game, is growing up quickly.
“We are young but they’ve been playing pretty well and getting better the last couple of weeks,” Wheeler said. “When we shoot the ball and play defense the way we did tonight we can be pretty good. I think we’re making good progress.”
The teams jockeyed back-and-forth in the early moments of the game with Gainesville (7-13) leading 4-2 on a Jada Rucker basket. But East Hall exploded for an 18-0 run behind 3-point shots from Maleah Harrison, a pair from Griffin, and one from Dale, who was just warming up, for a 20-4 lead.
The Lady Red Elephants, however, answered with a 15-0 run of their own, getting 3-pointers from Lauren Teasley, Kyah Canty, and Sadie Roach to pull within 20-19 midway through the second quarter.
But East Hall would respond back with a 12-2 run and eventually took a 32-22 lead into the intermission. The Lady Vikings kept up the barrage to start the third quarter with a 14-2 run, highlighted by two more Dale 3-pointers for a 46-24 advantage.
Dale’s sixth and final 3-pointer pushed East Hall’s lead to 59-31 with just over four minutes remaining, its biggest of the game, before the subs for both teams took over.
Roach finished with 12 points to lead Gainesville, which has now lost four straight games. Teasley had 7 for the Lady Red Elephants.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2020/1/869374/basketball-ghs-east-hall-split-on-mlk-day-showcase