Antavion Collum has big performance on Senior Night against Cordova
Antavion Collum hasn’t had to be the No. 1 scoring option this season for a Bartlett team that features a backcourt that has grown comfortable in head coach Dion Real’s system. But on Senior Night in front of friends, family members,…
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Continue ReadingAntavion Collum hasn’t had to be the No. 1 scoring option this season for a Bartlett team that features a backcourt that has grown comfortable in head coach Dion Real’s system.
But on Senior Night in front of friends, family members, and the student body, the Ole Miss commit had the game-high 30 points in a 68-60 win over Cordova to help Bartlett finish the season 27-2 overall and 8-0 in district play. The Panthers will have the No. 1 overall seed in next week’s 3A District 14 Tournament and a first-round bye.
Bartlett finishes the regular season on an 11-game winning streak and hasn’t lost a game since Jan. 5 against Olive Branch in the Memphis Hoopfest.
The Panthers are losing 12 seniors after this season. Three of them haven’t been with the program for four years. Jalen Cincore, who didn’t play in the team’s final home game of the season, arrived at Bartlett as a sophomore. Collum arrived this season after spending one season with Tennessee Prep Academy.
Senior forward Takori Rooks, who came from Houston, arrived at the beginning of his junior season. Luckily, Rooks, Collum, and Cincore didn’t have a hard time adjusting to the way Real wants his team to play on both ends of the floor.
In Real’s eyes, he has a special group that he’s going to miss coaching.
“It’s been pleasurable, because they know the expectations, and they come in and do it on a daily basis,” Real said. “They compete against each other. With this group, it’s a little different, because I haven’t seen young men like this put their egos to the side as much as these guys do.
“They come out here and they practice hard and play hard. They do what you asks them to do. So, this group is really, really special to me because of that.”
This senior-led group had a hard time putting away a young Wolfpack team. On four different occasions, the Panthers built at least an eight-point lead, but Cordova would quickly cut into its deficit with important scoring runs. Bartlett’s largest lead was 50-39 in the third quarter, but Julian Hibbler’s five straight points plus a score from Markelion Hines made it 52-46 heading into the fourth quarter.
A 3-point play by Collum pushed the Panthers’ lead back up to 55-46, but the Wolfpack went on another scoring run of 7-2 to get their deficit to 57-53. Cordova would get close again at 62-58 after a 3 by Hines, but Collum scored then made two foul shots after the Wolfpack head coach Terrance Scales picked up a technical foul after he was upset for the referees calling a foul on Iona commit Bruce Guy Jr. at midcourt.
Collum finished 8 for 8 from the free throw line to go along with his 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block.
In the first meeting, Cordova (18-7, 5-3) lost 64-46 at home to the Panthers, but coach Real knew the Wolfpack would give Bartlett its best shot.
“Coach Scales does a great job. Cordova has a lot of pride in itself. They’re not going anywhere,” Real said. “It was 18 the first time, tonight it’s eight. Next time, it may be four, and who knows after that. If we can’t fix some things here or there, they’re going to fight.”
Collum was the only double-digit scorer for the Panthers.
Guy Jr. led Cordova with 19 points. Hines added 15, and Hibbler pitched in 11.
3 takeaways
- Collum’s performance on Senior Night was probably his best single-game performance of the season. The 3A Mr. Basketball finalist is capable of scoring 25 points or more every game. He just needs to slack off on taking so many outside jump shots and just drive to the basket.
- The Wolfpack refused to go away. Coach Scales has done a good job coaching a group that’s still learning how to finish games.
- Fans shouldn’t be surprised to see Cordova and Bartlett play each other again in next week’s 3A District 14 Tournament title game.