McGuffey rolls past Mapletown
CARMICHAELS – It’s an old coaching formula to tell the team to get out to a big lead at the start, for anything can happen after that. McGuffey worked that reminder into a winning formula last night, on the way to a 74-58 edge over Mapletown in the Carmichaels Lions Club’s King Coal Holiday Basketball Tournament, with the win moving the Highlanders into tonight’s championship final.
McGuffey will battle host Carmichaels in the championship game, preceded at 6 p.m. by the consolation game between Beth-Center and Mapletown.
The Highlanders used a double-barreled punch of Seth Hunter (10) and Jason Scott (7) to move into a 23-12 lead after one quarter, and that was a big move right at the start, for Mapletown rebounded over the next two quarters and played McGuffey almost even, trailing 35-34. Mapletown made a good run at the end, but the Highlanders stayed out of reach.
Mapletown coach Fred Morecraft said, “We played well after the first quarter. We have been on the holiday break and we came out just a little bit sluggish at the start, and you can’t do that against a good team. We did come back in the second half, and our press was effective. We got some steals off it.”
McGuffey coach Greg Papson said, “We played good defense, but Mapletown was a very aggressive team and they brought it out of us. I think this team is starting to see now what they have to do to be a winning team. Defense has to be a key for us, and we do have some guys who like to play defense. We had a good effort tonight holding a hustling team like Mapletown to 58 points.”
Mapletown led once in the game as Drew Denham scored a free throw seven seconds after the opening tip, and then McGuffey answered with Jason Scott’s long three, Nate Stringer’s lay-in and Scott jumper from the corner for a 7-1 lead, and the Highlanders were on their way.
Joe Clites scored and Denham got a steal-layin, pulling the Maples within two, 7-5, but Hunter hit a long three, a lay-in off Ryan Shingle’s pass, and scored again from in front for a 14-5 lead, and the closest Mapletown would get after that was six, 16-10, on Andy Erjavek’s basket in front late in the quarter.
Willie Bunnell and Scott hit McGuffey goals to end the first with a 23-12 lead, then the second opened with Scott’s layin, Stringer went up the lane, Chris McPherson hit a 10-footer, Scott a long three, and Hunter a baseline drive, around a Kovach shot from the circle and McGuffey owned a 34-14 lead.
That went to 40-28 at the half, and 58-46 after three, as they played even in the third with 18 each. Mapletown fought back within eight in the fourth. Down 60-46, Clites got a long three and a lay-in, Hunter laid one in for MHS, Latusek hit a three, and Hunter and Erjavek swapped goals, leaving McGuffey up 64-56. Then Scott and Hunter hit threes for a 70-56 lead, and Clites got the final goal for Mapletown.
Hunter led McGuffey and game scoring with 30 and Scott had 22, both with four bonus baskets. Clites led Mapletown with 22 and Latusek had 14.