Can Center Hill make the right adjustments against Olive Branch?
Center Hill found out quickly that it’s not smart to try to run-and-gun with Olive Branch. The Mustangs also found out that the road to a 5A state championship goes through the ‘Quistors. Center Hill head coach Newton Mealer admitted…
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Continue ReadingCenter Hill found out quickly that it’s not smart to try to run-and-gun with Olive Branch. The Mustangs also found out that the road to a 5A state championship goes through the ‘Quistors.
Center Hill head coach Newton Mealer admitted that when his team was up 28-17 – thanks to senior point guard Kenneth Lewis’ 13 points – the Mustangs should’ve slowed the game down, which would have forced Olive Branch to come out and guard.
But, that didn’t happen.
“Looking back at it, we should’ve made Olive Branch come guard us in the second quarter,” Mealer said after his team’s 99-81 loss to the ‘Quistors on Jan. 25. “Instead, we kept trying to attack their 3-2 zone, and the zone hurt us. We turned the ball over twice. We didn’t get back in transition defense, and we gave up three easy baskets.”
Center Hill went away from Lewis, who had the hot hand in the first half. The Mustangs also got in foul trouble. Junior forward Decorian Payton picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter and had to sit on the bench. Senior point guard Calvin Temple was in foul trouble as well and didn’t play much of the third quarter when Olive Branch took control of the game.
Tuesday night’s crowd at Olive Branch High School will be louder than the crowd at Center Hill, and the Mustangs will have to find a way to silence the noise that will hit the team before tip-off.
In order for Center Hill to win this game, the Mustangs will have to find an answer for senior wing D.J. Jeffries, who scored a game-high 39 points in the first meeting. Center Hill will also have to find an answer for junior forward Cameron Matthews, who was all over the glass in the first meeting. Then, there’s a gritty backcourt in Wes Taylor, Joe Cooper, Kyron Pleas, and Josh Stephenson that the Mustangs will have to deal with.
Taylor scored 20 in the first meeting. Matthews had 13, and Stephenson provided 11.
The ‘Quistors made the first meeting look easy, and it’s probably because of the tough schedule the defending 5A state champs played this season. Olive Branch played the likes of Memphis East, Mountain Brook, Scott County, Marion, Oak Hill Academy, IMG Academy, Chicago-Simeon, and Bartlett.
In the off season, the ‘Quistors head coach Eric Rambough put this schedule together, so his team would be battle tested, which would prepare them for another state title run.
“We have been in some tough games this year, and an environment like this doesn’t scare the boys,” Rambough said after the win. “It makes them play a little bit harder. We have had a lot of stuff go against us, playing against some good teams, good players.”
Olive Branch may not have to change anything up. The ‘Quistors forced Temple into some uncomfortable shots in the first meeting. Olive Branch calmed down Lewis after his hot start, and once that happened, the ‘Quistors had complete control.
It’s Center Hill that will have to make some adjustments.
Who’s better off guarding Jeffries? Payton or sophomore forward Kaeden Laws. The person that doesn’t guard Jeffries will have to guard Matthews, and he’s a handful at 6-foot-5.
If Temple and Lewis can’t get going offensively, who will step up for the Mustangs?
These are two questions Center Hill will have to find answers to if it doesn’t want Olive Branch’s dominance to continue.