Center Hill moves to 11-0 with road win at Southaven
Senior guards Calvin Temple and Kevin Henry fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, but by that time, Center Hill had a double-digit lead. Mustangs head coach Newton Mealer brought in junior guard Braxton Morris and senior guard Kenneth Lewis…
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Continue ReadingSenior guards Calvin Temple and Kevin Henry fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, but by that time, Center Hill had a double-digit lead.
Mustangs head coach Newton Mealer brought in junior guard Braxton Morris and senior guard Kenneth Lewis to finish the game, and they didn’t let their team down. With Morris and Lewis in the lineup, Center Hill (11-0) was able to maintain a double-digit lead to finish off Southaven (6-5) for the 102-83 win Friday night to remain undefeated.
“I never doubted our team, because I knew what I had coming off the bench,” said Mealer, who had three bench players (Morris, Lewis, and Jacquez Hardin) finish the game once Temple and Henry went on the bench.
The Mustangs didn’t pull away until the third quarter. Holding a 48-41 lead, Temple drained a 3 to start the quarter, then Kaeden Laws made one of his own to put Center Hill up 56-43. Lewis and Temple connected on two more shots from long range to build a 15-point lead.
Temple made one more 3 before he fouled out at the 5:16 mark of the fourth quarter. Laws’ final 3 of the night pushed the Mustangs’ lead to 83-65.
Temple led all scorers with 35. Junior forward Decorian Payton scored 23.
After Henry made two shots from the foul line, he picked up his fifth foul, which led him to heading to the bench for good. He finished with 20 points and connected on 10 of 12 shots from the charity stripe. Center Hill had an 85-72 lead when Henry went to the bench.
And thanks to the bench, the Mustangs didn’t have to hit the panic button.
“You got to give them a lot of credit. They’re poised, they’re ready, they’re experienced,” Mealer said about his bench. “They go against the starting five every day in practice. So, you always feel good about them.”
Center Hill had five guys to score in double figures. Laws added 14, while Lewis provided 11 off the bench. Mealer’s team made 14 shots from long range.
Yet, the Chargers were able to hang around to give the Mustangs all they could handle. Center Hill held a double-digit lead for most of the first half, but Southaven was able to get back into the game from the free throw line.
Jaylon Sanders made two foul shots to cut his team’s deficit down to 40-30, then Jordan Hibbler scored four straight points to make it 44-37. Isaiah Brevard and J.T. Chalmers scored the team’s final four points to bring their team within seven, but Temple, Henry, and Laws scored crucial baskets to start the third quarter to avoid an upset.
Hibbler led the Chargers with 20 points. Brevard added 16. Sanders provided 15 and Chalmers scored 13. Southaven played without its starting point guard James Richards as he’s dealing with a high ankle sprain.
3 quick thoughts
- This is the first time this season a team has scored at least 80 points against Center Hill. Before Friday night, Madison Central scored 68 against the Mustangs in the Oxford Turkey Classic.
- Senior guard Kenneth Lewis is finally 100 percent. Before now, he had been dealing with an ankle injury.
- Jaylon Sanders added five rebounds and four assists to his stat line against Center Hill.