In theory, last month’s boys basketball game between Lowndes County rivals New Hope and Columbus high schools had little bearing when they met again in the Trojan Holiday Classic.
Columbus junior point guard Tavarest Gray took the opposite approach.
“We wanted to come in here and get some revenge,” Gray said. “They beat us at our place, so it was only fair we come over here and beat them at their place. We are two really good teams, and when we play it is going to be special. We didn’t want to lose this one at the end.”
Demyis Mayberry hit free throws in the closing seconds to help New Hope earn a 70-69 win at the Joe Horne Columbus Christmas Classic two weeks ago. The rematch had a similar score but far less drama.
An 11-0 run to end the first half helped Columbus build an 18-point lead. A late 3-point barrage by New Hope tightened things, but Columbus capped a three-weekend run of holiday tournaments in the coverage area with a 70-66 victory late Saturday night.
“New Hope is really good,” Columbus junior power forward Chris Deloach said. “I never thought I would look at the scoreboard and see an 18-point lead. It’s a testament of how well we can play when we do everything right. Our big men really brought it tonight. That was the difference.”
For the second time in 14 days, the gym was overflowing when the rivals met. Law enforcement was needed to make sure extra spectators crammed into the stands and didn’t filter onto the floor to obstruct play.
Things were intense for close to two quarters. Columbus (10-3) then found its second gear and dropped 11 points in the final 75 seconds of the first half to take a 38-28 halftime lead.
“Their big men totally dominated the game,” New Hope coach Drew McBrayer said. “We absolutely could not get a rebound. They dominated us inside and held us to one shot on a regular basis. That was really the key. They took it to us down low, and we struggled to find an answer.”
A 3-pointer by JaVontae McDavid capped an 8-0 run midway through the third quarter that gave Columbus a 52-34 advantage.
“We just wanted to come out and play our game,” McDavid said. “This was a really big win from a confidence standpoint. We needed something like this to get us ready for January and February. They made one more play than we did the last time, so our goal in this game was to come out and make as many plays as we could as early as we could.”
New Hope (11-5) shifted its offense into high gear in an attempt to close the gap.
Terryonte Thomas took matters into his hands by scoring eight-straight points, including a salute to the Columbus student section after he scored on a finger roll.
Mayberry and Jaylon Bardley hit 3-pointers to help New Hope cut the deficit to 11 entering the fourth quarter.
When Columbus needed an answer, it turned to freshman Robert Woodard. A major factor in the Falcons’ early success this season, Woodard answered the bell with 25 points and 11 rebounds. He scored on back-to-back possessions after New Hope had closed within six two minutes into the fourth quarter.
Still, New Hope wouldn’t go away. Three-straight 3-pointers by Thomas, Shemar Johnson, and Bardley had New Hope within three points in the final minute. However, New Hope never had a potential game-tying possession in the second half.
“The kids scrapped and clawed,” McBrayer said. “That is one thing you can say about this team. They are never going to lie down. They will battle until the end of every game. We didn’t play nearly as well as we needed to defensively. However, I am proud of them for battling and being in a position there at the end.”
Deloach added 13 points and Jay Jay Swanigan had eight. The trio helped Columbus finish with a plus-16 rebounding advantage. McDavid also had 10 points.
“We have to learn how to close our games,” Columbus coach Sammy Smith said. “We have to find a guard who at the end of the game can control a game and make sure we close it out. We will keep looking for that. Overall, it was a great win, but it should have not come down to a possession or two at the end.
“We played too well for it come to down that there at the end. Robert really did a great job tonight. All of our big men did. But he really carried us. He is a freshman. He is so coachable and he is learning. He is getting better every day.
“We rebounded much better than we did in the first meeting. You are facing one of the best offenses we will see all year, so you have to make sure they don’t get extra opportunities.”
Thomas led New Hope with 22 points, followed by Mayberry (13), Bardley (12), and Johnson (10).
Both teams will turn their thoughts to the beginning of region play in New Hope’s case or the continuation of region play in Columbus’ case.
“We had a big district win against Northwest Rankin (Friday night),” Gray said. “Our defensive effort was really good (allowed 12 first-half points in a 54-42 win). We wanted to carry that over to this game. We knew playing better defense on their shooters would mean victory. We will try to keep that up for the rest of our district games. That is how we can be successful.”
Follow Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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