Olive Branch brushes off sloppy start to defeat Fayette Ware
Olive Branch scored the first six points of the game against Fayette Ware, then was flat for the rest of the first half. The ‘Quistors head coach Eric Rambough sat at the end of the bench, with a face symbolizing…
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Continue ReadingOlive Branch scored the first six points of the game against Fayette Ware, then was flat for the rest of the first half. The ‘Quistors head coach Eric Rambough sat at the end of the bench, with a face symbolizing how frustrated he was with his team’s performance.
Luckily, the defending 5A state champions had enough firepower in the second half to put away the Wildcats by the final of 78-60.
Olive Branch’s first six points came in less than a minute, which included an easy transition dunk for junior forward Cameron Matthews. D.J. Jeffries knocked down the team’s first 3 of the game, then senior point guard Joe Cooper got on the scoreboard.
With less than five minutes left in the first quarter, it was 20-8, and the ‘Quitters (18-6) were on pace to a blowout, but Fayette Ware quickly cut its deficit to three to start the second quarter. Olive Branch had some lapses on the defensive end. The ‘Quistors weren’t hitting the glass, and the team wasn’t making shots from the free throw line.
All three contributed to the Wildcats staying within striking distance of a team that’s destined to repeat as state champions.
Matthews made a 3 as the buzzer sounded in the second quarter to give Olive Branch the 41-31 halftime lead. The ‘Quistors found their usual groove at the start of the third quarter with an 11-0 run to build a 52-31 lead that was capped by a 3 from Cooper, who finished with 16 points.
Jeffries also added 16, and Matthews provided 13.
By the end of the third quarter, Olive Branch was up 61-45 and cruised the rest of the way, despite the sloppy moments in the first half.
“We really weren’t focused,” junior point guard Wes Taylor said. “We were overlooking the team, thinking it was going to be an easy game. We really weren’t ready to play.”
The ‘Quistors’ lead could have been bigger if more free throws would have fallen. Cooper went 4 for 9, and Matthews made just 2 of 5. As a team, Olive Branch converted on just 12 of its 24 free throw attempts. Taylor finished with nine points.
Point guard Tre Yates led Fayette Ware with 15 points. Collin Maclin added 12, and P.J. Thompson provided 10.
3 takeaways
- Olive Branch can’t have moments where it plays down to its competition. The ‘Quistors were the better team on the floor Monday night. That’s not even up for debate.
- Jeffries and Matthews weren’t all over the glass like they were Friday night at Center Hill. Fayette Ware stayed in the game because of second-chance points.
- Olive Branch has made more than 50 percent of its free throws throughout the 2018 season. The ‘Quistors aren’t a horrible free throw shooting team. They were just flat and made Monday night’s game against the Wildcats more interesting than it was supposed to be.
Glad to be a Tiger
Wes Taylor still has one more year of high school basketball to go, but decided to get his recruitment out of the way as he committed to Jackson State University via Twitter on Jan. 26.
“It feels good,” Taylor said. “I got it out of the way. I can just focus on hooping now.”
Taylor is following in the footsteps of his father, John Taylor, who played for the Tigers from 1990-94. In 119 games at JSU, the 5-foot-11 point guard averaged 9.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. John’s 514 career assists are ranked sixth all-time in the Southwest Athletic Conference.