Sports
Unbeaten Carrollton Downs Allatoona
The Allatoona boys basketball team will play for third-place a 2:30 p.m. today against Mays in the last day of the Lake City Classic tournament.
An uncharacteristic shaky and sloppy start doomed Allatoona High School’s boys basketball team in its semifinal game against unbeaten Carrollton late Thursday night in the Lake City Classic Basketball Tournament at Allatoona.
The now 9-0 Trojans grabbed a 14-5 first-quarter lead and never looked back before posting a 57-42 win.
The loss dropped Allatoona (9-3) into the third-place game against Mays (2-7) at 2:30 p.m. today.
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“Offensively, we rushed things too much and had a lot of turnovers,” said Buccaneer senior Dimychael Ross, who scored13 points. “We just didn’t go for the offensive rebounds when we put shots up.
“Mentally, we didn’t prepare ourselves for the game,” he continued. “We’ve been playing a lot of ball lately and I think we’re just a little tired mentally and physically.”
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Finding themselves in 24-12 halftime hole, the Buccaneers tried valiantly to rally against the up-tempo Trojans. They were outscored only 15-11 in the third quarter and actually outscored Carrollton 19-18 in the fourth quarter, but neither of those efforts was enough.
Allatoona still trailed 39-23 after the third quarter. The Buccaneers were able to get within 11 points at 45-34 with 4:08 left in the game, but Carrollton responded with a 12-8 run to end the threat and game.
Ross and sophomore teammate Daniel Fowler led the Buccaneer resurgence. Ross scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half, with nine of those coming in the fourth quarter. Fowler had 11 of his team-high 16 points in the second half.
“I can’t blame it on being tired, but we really weren’t playing as a team like we did (Wednesday against North Paulding),” Fowler said. “That team beat us at state last year and a lot of the team wanted to retaliate and it didn’t fall through because the teamwork wasn’t there.
"The second half we were playing as a team, but it was just too late,” he added.
Senior guard Josh Barge led Carrollton’s decisive first-quarter with eight of his game-high 19 points arriving in the first eight minutes. Senior guard Telvin Brown, who impressed with several left-handed assists and passes, scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half.
“Teams that we play look at us as undersized, but when we turn on the pressure they’re kind of shocked,” Brown said. “Once we’re on you, we clamp on you the whole night.”
Carrollton will play Alexander (8-2) for the tournament championship at 8:30 tonight.
The Trojans’ 9-0 start is the best since the 2003-04 season when Carrollton started 27-0 before Gainesville ended its banner year with a first-round loss in the state playoffs.