Third time’s a charm! The MS Indians secured the Tri-State Championship with a thrilling 41-37 over rivals Towns County Saturday on the road. Despite falling short against Towns twice this season, the boys came through when it mattered most. The win punctuates the season with back-to-back titles.
The Indians were behind 18-12 at the half but kept their composure and stuck to the game plan. TFS rallied to outscore Towns 29-19 in the second half on the way to the win.
“This was an overall great game to be apart of,” says coach Nathan Stanley. “The atmosphere was incredible. I am proud of the boys for staying calm and even-keeled the whole game. We stuck with our game plan, and in the end, it made the difference.”
Towns had a 2-0 advantage going into the game.
“We just knew we couldn’t go in with our backs against the wall. We shifted some things around defensively that we haven’t done all year, and that truly made the difference,” Stanley says, calling it a great win for the team and the TFS basketball program.
Brantley Addison led all scorers with 16 points after scoring two points in the first. Lincoln Hicks continued where he left off the past two weeks and went to work in the paint, putting up another big game with 11 points.
Asa Popham continued to show his awareness by distributing the ball all around the court, adding 10 points in the effort. Ethan Phasavang played one of his best games of the year, coming up with key rebounds late in the fourth quarter and invaluable leadership. Grantley Smith had probably the hardest job on the day, according to Stanley, and rose to the challenge of guarding Towns County’s leading scorer, who has been on a tear all year long.
The Indians end the season at 14-4 overall.
Lady Indians
The Lady Indians’ stellar season ended with a 36-18 loss at Summit Charter in the Tri-State Championship game on Saturday.
TFS trailed 23-7 at the half and couldn’t overcome a hot-shooting Summit team. Payton McEntire led with 14 points, and Nora Mitchell and Handley James had two apiece.
The Lady Indians close the season with an 11-8 overall record.
