Quick hits from Bartlett’s win at Fayette Ware
Bartlett got an impressive win Thursday night at Fayette Ware against a talented Wildcats team. Here are the quick hits from the Panthers’ victory. Bartlett was scrappy for the most part. The Panthers, as a whole, seemed to want the…
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Continue ReadingBartlett got an impressive win Thursday night at Fayette Ware against a talented Wildcats team.
Here are the quick hits from the Panthers’ victory.
Bartlett was scrappy for the most part.
The Panthers, as a whole, seemed to want the win a lot more than Fayette Ware. Bartlett scratched and clawed for every point, rebound and loose ball. The Panthers were alert on the defensive end and forced some turnovers and took advantage of the Wildcats’ offensive miscues.
Bartlett mixed it up on the defensive end Thursday night. The Panthers were in a man-to-man defense to start the game, then quickly went to zone and bounced between the two for the duration of the contest. Bartlett’s goal was to limit the dominance of junior big man JaSteven Walker, who finished the night with 12 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks.
“Biggest thing is Luke Bridges. He did a really good job on him then Rashad Williams,” Panthers head coach Dion Real said. “You see a lot of things about players in the city but Rashad Williams is one that’s going unnoticed. He played some big minutes for us as a freshman against, arguably, one of the better interior guys around here.
“I mean, that kid can play. So, I tip my hat off to the two guys down low and our seniors. It was a group effort.”
Bartlett was able to get a lot of easy scores.
The Panthers were able to get a lot of easy scores because of their rebounding effort. Senior Calvin Jennings had 14 boards by himself to go along with his 12 points. Senior point guard Will Farris was able to control the tempo of the game and run the offense. Farris didn’t have issues getting to the rim. He had a team-high and game-high 21 points.
“It’s super, super important,” Real said when asked about Farris’s leadership. “Last year was his semi coming out party. When you start talking about key players around here, his name does not come up. He does not get the recognition. Like a few years ago, he wasn’t worried about it.
“He just shows up every single day, works hard and leads by example.”
Fayette Ware missed opportunities to take control of the game.
The Wildcats held a 38-37 lead midway through the third quarter after senior point guard Taki Walker made two free throws but the lead quickly vanished as Fayette Ware allowed Bartlett to get easy scores in transition and putbacks. The Panthers built a 47-39 lead in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats cut their deficit to four in the fourth quarter before Williams and Farris scored on two straight possessions. Senior wing Tyler Fitzpatrick having an off night hurt Fayette Ware’s offense. He finished with just two points and two rebounds. The Wildcats need solid production from him if they hope to make a deep postseason run. It also didn’t help that Fayette Ware went 2 for 16 from 3-point range.
As for everyone else, senior wing Jordan Hamilton led the team with 16 points. Junior guard Harmonta Griggs had 12, and Walker added seven points, seven rebounds and six assists.
It’s just the first week of the regular season. The Wildcats have enough time to fix things. It’s too early to count this team out.