Pickens County players look on during the waning seconds of their 48-37 regional semifinal loss.
By BRIAN HAMILTON, Editor
The Tornadoes fell behind early Thursday night at Wallace State, as Titus Griffin got hot from beyond the arc to give Covenant Christian an early 11-3 lead. The Eagles would go on to shoot 42-percent for the game and derail Pickens County’s season with a 48-37 win.
“We just didn’t come out and play,” Pickens County head coach Marcuss Barnes said. “We played flat throughout the game, but you’ve got to give credit where credit is due. Those guys were very fundamental and they fought hard and play hard. Our body was here, but our mind was somewhere else.”
After trailing 14-5 after one quarter, the Tornadoes began to start working their way back into the game. Aaron Billups made a layup, followed by a three-pointer to cut Covenant Christian’s lead to 14-11 with 5:17 left in the second quarter. Pickens County cut the deficit to 14-13 when Jadavian Johnson followed a fast break with a two-handed dunk, capping an 8-0 run.
“It’s a mental thing, where we worried about fouls being called instead of just going up and making it,” Barnes said.
Zeke Griffin would make a layup on the other end to halt the Tornadoes’ run and put the Eagles ahead 16-13. Titus Griffin then followed that up with a three to put Covenant ahead 19-13. Pickens County’s Isaiah Steven would make a basket, followed by two Jawan Petty free throws with 12 seconds left, sending the Tornadoes to the locker room with a 19-17 halftime deficit.
See complete story in the Pickens County Herald.
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