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Holcomb dominated by South Pemiscot
HOLCOMB – The South Pemiscot junior varsity and varsity Bulldogs brought heat on a brisk January evening and torched the Holcomb Hornets, 67-43 JV and 81-53 varsity.
South Pem took Holcomb to task during an outing in which the score did not reflect the actual nature of the competition. And Hornets head coach John Hixson said his 4-12 team had it's work cut out for it against the Bulldogs.
"We played them in the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament," Hixson said. "We competed for a half and they wound up beating us pretty good. We're gonna try to make them beat us outside. Last time we played them they scored a lot of points in the paint.”
Although Hixson's hopes might've been dashed Thursday, his squad played heads-up ball and with an over abundance of heart.
The Hornets took the tip and powered down court but failed to convert a three-point attempt. South Pem rebounded and nailed the initial bucket with 7:20 remaining on the first-period clock.
The two teams battled on the boards and the Hornets led the Bulldogs by one point, 20-19 at the first period buzzer. The tables turned by halftime and the Bulldogs were on top headed into the third period, 30-24 behind some fine defense offered by South Pem's Jodie Morton.
The third period belonged unquestionably to the Bulldogs, who owned the Hornets at nearly every turn. South Pem returned after the half blasting ahead of Holcomb 50-29 with 4:44 left in the third period.
The Bulldogs maintained the lead in the final period and gained a road win thanks to the phenomenal athleticism of the small, quick, 9-volt battery of a guard James Farmer who dropped 26 and was the game's loaded cannon Thursday; Ty Campbell who scored 15; and Jaterion Smith who added 15 points of his own.
Bulldogs Head Coach McGowan said he was proud of the varsity squad.
"I thought our kids came out and played hard," Coach McGowan said. "Especially during the second half.
"I thought Holcomb came out with a good game plan early," he added. "It took us a minute to adjust. They kind of punched us in the mouth earlier. But we woke up, got some things going, forced some turnovers and had a pretty successful night. I'm proud of my kids. They worked hard. I'm sure (Campbell head coach Steve) Fowler will have his team ready. We're gonna have a battle for sure."
In JV play, Holcomb Junior Varsity Head Coach Tyler Campbell, in his debut season guiding the 4-8 Hornets, packed the floor Tuesday with underclassmen.
"I'm going guard heavy," Coach Campbell noted. "The Bulldogs are a little bit faster.
"I do have some size on my side," he continued. "South Pem likes to drive the ball inside. So we're going to do everything we can to try and stop that.”
The Bulldogs JV prowled the floor and led the Hornets 14-9 at the first buzzer. But the game didn't begin that way. The Hornets took the tip and sophomore guard Sam Jacobs sent one home, 2-0 Holcomb. The Bulldogs answered immediately with a bucket and followed up with a nice defensive slap down court by Bryce Robinson that stole possession from the Hornets.
And from that point, the JV Bulldogs' domination stayed the course.
The game progressed with South Pem ahead 38-24 at the half; substituting the entire squad during the third and leading 58-32 entering the fourth quarter; and 67-43 at the final buzzer.