02-24-04
CARRIER MILLS VS. MOUNDS MERIDIAN
@ GALLATIN CO. CLASS A REGIONAL
BY JACK BULLOCK
JUNCTION - The Meridian Bobcats did not finish their regular season on a strong note.

Since coming within an eyelash of winning the Eldorado Holiday Tournament back in December, coach Jeff Mandrell and his club searched for more consistency throughout the final two months of the regular season.

Dropping three close games to rival Century this season along with a regular season finale at Goreville last Friday night, Meridian was not considered one of the favorites for the post-season.

However on Tuesday night, the Bobcats showed just how dangerous a team that they can be in a relatively easy win over Carrier Mills.

Jared Staple, Meridian's 6-3 senior forward, popped home 19 points and teammate Marcus Hines pitched in 17 to lead his team to a 68-52 victory at the Gallatin County Class A Regional.

Meridian never trailed in the game and improved to 19-9 on the season.

"I told the kids that a lot of teams get upset in the first round but we survived and advanced, so we'll take it," said Mandrell. "We didn't shoot really well and played kind of raged but we forced some turnovers and that was a big difference."

The game was very close in the first quarter, unlike the two previous games between the two teams, both won by lopsided margins by the Bobcats.

The Wildcats got a solid performance from 6-2 senior guard Tyler Johnson.

He scored 14 points in the game, including a pair of first quarter baskets.

His 3-pointer from the left wing cut the early Meridian lead to 7-6.
But Meridian guard Kyle Gardner canned a pair of 3-pointers in the opening quarter and Staple scored four points on a rebound basket and a pair of late quarter free throws.

Six-one freshmen Jeremiah Mitchell scored a couple of late baskets in the quarter for Carrier Mills.

His second shot on a rebound just before the first quarter buzzer made it 14-12 Meridian.

The Wildcats, behind a Brandon Evans jump hook basket and an Eli Morgan 3-point shot to get within 18-17 with 6:31 left.

But Meridian took off on its first big run of the evening to extend its advantage to 13 at halftime.

Three straight transition baskets, highlighted by a one-handed slam-dunk by Staple, drove the lead to 24-17.

After an Evans score on an inbounds play, Meridian finished off the quarter with rebound basket by Darron Hyte; a 3-pointer from the left corner by Staple and a free throw by Judah Watkins.

Despite missing 26 first half shots, the Bobcats controlled the tempo and the first half at 32-19.

"We maintained a lead for most of the game even though we didn't shoot the ball very well," added Mandrell. "We haven't been as good defensively as we have been in the past few seasons. I think sometimes we gamble a bit too much on the defensive end and it gets us in some trouble."

Although Carrier Mills held its own in the third quarter, they were unable to make much of a dent in the Meridian advantage.

Evans, playing in his last game for coach Mark Motsinger, scored 11 of his 13 points in the third quarter.

His five straight points in the middle of the frame cut the Meridian lead to 38-31 with 3:00 left.

But Marcus Hines scored seven straight points on two 3-pointers. On his second one, Johnson fouled him in the act of shooting.

Hines made his free throw, which pushed the lead back to 45-33.

A late quarter 3-pointer by Jeff Gulley cut the Wildcats' deficit to 47-36 heading to the final stanza.

However Meridian used two more big runs to ice the game to advance to the semi-finals.

Two consecutive steals and easy baskets by Hines and Staple got the Bobcats rolling.

Then after another 3-pointer by Morgan, the Bobcats scored the next six points in transition.

Staple, Hines and Watkins each scored baskets on consecutive trips up the court.

As easy as 3, 2 and 1 (the three player's numbers) the lead ballooned to 60-45 with 3:42 to go.

Meridian's Gardner hit his third and final 3-pointer of the game with 2:15 to go.

The Bobcats put an exclamation point on the win on a fast break lob pass from Hines to Staple for a slam dunk and a 65-47 lead.

Carrier Mills could get no closer the rest of the way as their season came to an end with the loss.

"The kids tonight knew that for us to have a good game that we needed to stay within the system," said Carrier Mills' coach Mark Motsinger. "After they beat us by 40-something the last time, I thought we did a much better job tonight even though we lost."

Besides Staple and Hines points, Meridian got 10 points from Watkins while Gardner and Jerrel Stockwell added nine points each.

After Johnson's 14 points, Evans added 13 and Mitchell 10 for Carrier Mills (6-17).

Meridian will face Eldorado Thursday night in the second Gallatin County Regional semifinal.

The Eagles topped rival Harrisburg 53-44 in Tuesday nights' second opening round game.

Carrier Mills (52) - Johnson 4 2 0-0 14, Evans 6 0 1-2 13, Mitchell 5 0 0-4 10, Morgan 0 3 0-0 9, Gulley 0 2 0-0 6.
2FG-15, 3FG-7, FT-1-6, PF-11.
Mounds Meridian (68) - Watkins 4 0 2-4 10, Hines 5 2 1-1 17, Staple 7 1 2-4 19, Stockstill 4 0 1-2 9, Gardner 0 3 0-0 9, Hyte 2 0 0-1 4.
2FG-22, 3FG-6, FT-6-12, PF-9.
Fouled Out - None.
Technical Fouls - None.

Harrisburg (44) - Smithpeters 7 1 1-6 16, Sullivan 7 0 10-12 24, Ford 2 0 0-0 4, Thompson 0 0 0-0 0, Schuessler 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-16, 3FG-1, FT-11-18, PF-16.
Eldorado (53) - Lane 4 1 0-2 9, Griffin 2 0 0-0 4, Hammond 6 0 4-7 16, Carmickle 7 0 3-4 17, Etienne 2 1 0-1 5, Jackson 1 0 0-1 2.
2FG-22. 3FG-2, FT-7-15, PF-19.
Fouled Out - Hammond, Eldorado.
Technical Foul - Hammond, Eldorado.