The Gilmer High Bobcats improved to 4-0 in region play with two more wins, and Jackson McVey eclipsed 1,000 career points.
Lumpkin County was in town last Tuesday, and GHS survived a rough game by the Indians. Fouls were called more frequently in the second half, and the Bobcats put the game away at the free-throw line for a 57-54 win.
Against White County Friday, the Warriors lit up the scoreboard from outside. When their three-point shots stopped falling in the second half, Gilmer was there to force costly turnovers. GHS took the lead at the midpoint of the fourth and held on for a 73-69 win.
The Bobcats traveled to North Murray Saturday. The 9-1 Mountaineers found open outside shots and also held a decisive edge at the free-throw line as the Bobcats fell, 85-78.
Physical play persisted in the Lumpkin game, and referees were content with allowing that style for three quarters. Lumpkin committed 29 fouls on the night to the Bobcats’ eight. GHS made 22/32 free-throw attempts and 12/18 over the game’s final eight minutes.
“The refs were just kind of letting fouls go. It was a tough game and the calls that they normally call weren’t being called, and that kind of took us out of our element at the start,” said head coach Jordan Hice. “In the fourth quarter, luckily, they started calling fouls. We were shooting free throws pretty much the whole fourth quarter.”
Jackson McVey and Keegen Bryant made the Indians pay and converted 8/10 and 6/8 free throws. They also led the way offensively as McVey scored 16 points Bryant added 15. Jacob Becerra scored 11 points to go with three assists.
LCHS shot 30 percent from the field. Leading scorer Cal Faulkner mirrored that as he made 10/31 attempts for 29 points, which included a paltry 5/15 performance from three-point territory.
Lumpkin slugged its way to a 30-23 lead at halftime and maintained a 41-36 edge with a quarter to play. GHS still trailed by two points with five minutes left in the game before going on an 8-0 run to pull ahead, 52-46.
A Lumpkin three tied the score at 52-52. Bryant went on to make 3/4 free throws on consecutive possessions for a three-point lead. Lumpkin then drew within a point, 55-54, with 10 seconds to play before Ryder Wofford sank two free throws and stole the ensuing inbound pass.
LCHS fouled Wofford once again. He was unable to make either, and Lumpkin’s final three-point attempt at the buzzer did not fall.
Faulkner was joined in double figures by T.J. Gaddis (16).
White County made nine threes Friday evening, and six came in the first quarter as the Warriors stormed ahead by 10. GHS fed the post early and often, and McVey followed his seven-point first quarter with nine more in the second.
White lost its touch from outside, and the Cats’ cut the Warriors’ lead down to 37-36 at halftime.
“Teams we’ve been playing have been hot from outside. We’ve put up a good bit of threes but aren’t making a high percentage,” Hice said. “Teams are going to keep shooting threes against us, especially with Jackson protecting the rim. There have been times where teams are hitting threes and we can’t buy a basket.”
Gilmer made 7/8 free throws in the third. Warrior guard David Bomon tallied nine of his team-high 22 points in the quarter, and they still maintained a six-point lead at the end of the third.
GHS went on a 16-6 run in the opening four minutes of the fourth for a 67-63 lead. WCHS committed 10 turnovers in the game, which included five in the fourth. None was more punishing than the one that came with GHS ahead 71-69 with less than 20 seconds to play. J.D. Taylor picked a Warrior’s pocket at the top of the key and raced down the court for a layup to cement the win.
McVey scored 33 versus White and topped 1,000 career points the next day against North Murray. The Mountaineers’ offense benefited from eight three pointers in the first half, and J.D. Ellis hit five in the second quarter. Bryant scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half and GHS trailed 33 after two quarters.
“We were playing a zone,” Hice said. “It’s harder for us to guard teams who play five guards, so we jumped into a zone early. They were screening the backside zone, so we eventually switched to man defense. They kept screening for Ellis, and he got hot.” McVey picked up a pair of first quarter fouls and was limited to six points in the first half. He scored 21 over the final two quarters, but NMHS continued to increase its lead.
GHS fell behind 65-56 after the third and made up some ground in the fourth but came up short. Gilmer made 6/10 free throws while NMHS was 18/27 from the line.
Taylor added 13 points for GHS, and Wofford finished with 11.
McVey scored 40 points against Dawson County in Gilmer’s 72-70 region win Dec. 8. He was also on the receiving end of a Taylor pass in the final seconds for the game-winning basket.
Kohan Davis scored 12 points, Bryant and Wofford added nine and Becerra finished with two.
Gilmer is 7-3 overall and played Coahulla Creek at press deadline. GHS will face Northwest Whitfield Wednesday (7 p.m.) and Cartersville Thursday (6 p.m.). All games will be played at North Murray High School.
Junior varsity
The junior varsity Bobcats were on the court for three games last week and earned a pair of wins.
The week started versus Lumpkin and the game remained close through three quarters. It was even at 18-all after the first before GHS pulled ahead 35-32 at the half and 50-47 with a quarter to play.
The Indians’ three-point fourth was not nearly enough to keep pace with the Bobcats who won, 62-50.
Jaden Sevcech and Peyton Chancey were Gilmer’s top scorers with 17 and 14 points, respectively.
The matchup against White County was similar, and the Warriors limped to an 8-5 first quarter lead. GHS slipped ahead 16-15 at the half and 28-26 entering the fourth. WCHS made just three shots from the field, but they hit enough free throws to escape with a 41-39 win.
Douglas Callihan scored 10 points for Gilmer and both Tyler Wright and Sevcech added nine.
Gilmer was in North Murray Saturday, and the Mountaineers were able to break the game open in the third. NMHS extended its 32-27 halftime edge to 53-36 at the end of the third.
The Mountaineers went on to secure a 67-50 win. Sevcech led all scorers with 18 points, Preston McVey added eight, and Boston Teague finished with seven.