It has been a pleasure and stick around for more hoops.
It's been fun...Fletcher Proctor
And with a Brandon Boykin miss, the game is over...69-63 Columbia wins the title.
Kenny Mitchell has 17 points for the Eagles. Carruthers finishes with 25 points in a losing effort for Fayette County.
Fayette County has two teams in the finals, and comes away without a title.
Columbia wins the boys AAAA and Southwest DeKalb takes the girls.
Columbia grabs the rebound and runs off some time. 6.6 to play and Darrius Morrow, the future Gamecock knocks down both free throws 69-63
David Forrest will shoot the one and one, and he makes the first with 20.4. He hits the second and Fayette County misses a three.
21.1 seconds to go for the 2008 AAAA boys title, Columbia leads Fayette County 65-63. And Cobb will inbounds for the Eagles. An immediate foul is committed by Brandon Boykin, his third
Houston makes the first to push the lead to 5 with another to come. After a miss. Noel Johnson hits a three and Fayette County calls their final timeout. 65-63 21.1
The Eagles het the ball in and Cedrean McEachin commits the team's 7th foul, thus sending a shaken up Jarrod Houston to the line for 1 and 1 with 29.8 to play and a 4 point Columbia lead
The Tigers will have one timeout left and Coach Flynn needs a quick steal or a quick foul. The Jimmy V philosophy of "foul and pray" is evident on the Fayette County sideline
Fayette County is refusing to go away though. The Tigers force a turnover and will have 48 seconds to pull off a miracle. Carruthers drives and lays one in. 64-60 Eagles with 33.4
Noel Johnson miss on a three gives the ball back to Columbia and the fans are starting to feel it. 1:07 to play 64-58 Eagles
The Eagles play keep away to burn some clock before Cobb streaks to the basket, makes the shot and gets fouled. His make pushes the lead to 64-58
Carruthers nails a three with a man in his face to bring the lead down to 1, but Leslie scores on a dunk to push it back up to 3. After a Tiger turnover, the Eagles call a timeout with a 3 point lead and 93 seconds to go in the contest
2:50 to play, Columbia leads Fayette County 58-55 and the Tigers come out in a press. The Eagles beat the press, but Carruthers gets back to block the shot. After a discussion of whether or not an intentional should be called, Kenny Mitchell misses the first FT, but hits the second
Mitchell tips in a ball on the rim and Fayette coach Flynn called for goaltending, but to no avail. With under three to play the Tigers trail by 6. ENTER NOEL JOHNSON. He hits a huge three and the Tigers call a time out, to allow for a press
3:39 to play in the 4th and Noel Johnson to the line, his team down 5. He sinks the first to cut the lead to 4, but misses the second. The Tigers must retreat and can't press
After the make, Fayette County calls a 30 second timeout. The Tigers trail by 5, 56-51, and you have to wonder what if Boykin just lays the ball in. Down 3. Or if he makes the dunk, the crowd goes nuts and maybe the Eagles don't recover. Just thinking out loud here. Or thinking on blog here.
After a Tiger turnover, Columbia takes the lead thanks to Darrius Morrow and then Carruthers shot a quick three, but it would not go down. 4 minutes to go and Morrow lays one in and is fouled. 55-51 with one coming
Cuincy Carruthers hits two free throws for the 51-49 Tiger lead and Columbia is on its heels. However JerShon Cobb calmly knocks down a game-tying two
Noel Johnson is getting it done on both ends. After scrapping for a rebound he comes down and makes a free throw to tie the game at 49. Then the Tiger D forces a turnover and Columbia fouls the Tiger player going in for a layup. Time out Columbia. TIE GAME 49-49. 5:55 to play for a State Title!
Columbia will take the ball out of bound and lay it in as Cobb gets under the defense for the two. But Carruthers nails another one then Boykin steals the ball and tries a reverse dunk. but he misses. Columbia still leads after the Boykin miss. Wow. Let's remember that one. Eagles by 1
Entering the final quarter, the Tigers will look to get the Tiger fans involved, but the Eagles fans might be even louder. Columbia leads by 2 and they miss a shot, but Maurice Dorsey walks after grabbing the rebound for Fayette County.
Carruthers' shot is no good at the buzzer and though Fayette County still trails entering the final quarter, it is only by 2. The Tigers outscored the Eagles by 5 in that frame.
Random celebrity sighting...Patrick Ewing.
Wait, maybe that's not him. No...just a guy wearing a Patrick Ewing Jersey. I wonder why the Patrick Ewing Seattle Supersonics jersey isn't more popular. Or his Orlando Magic jersey?
Carruthers drives deep and misses but a jump ball is called on the rebound and the Tigers keep the ball on alternate possession, but the team has trouble with the inbounds pass and the Eagles come up with it. The Eagles turn it over with 18.4 to play and the Tigers will have a shot to tie or lead entering the fourth.
Kenny Mitchell rebounds a miss among 4 Tigers, but he steps on the end line. After the Tigers turn the ball over, the Eagles run the floor and David Forrest gives the Eagles the 47-45 lead, but a foul is called on Columbia. Basket still good
With 93 seconds to go in the third, Boykin once again gets to the line after a deep drive, miss, yet foul. He misses on both, the game remains tied.
The Eagles wisely go to Travis Leslie and he gets to the line, following a foul. He misses the first free throw, but he will get one more as Fayette County subs in Flynn. The game is tied following the made free throw. 43-43 with 1:53 to play in the third
After yet ANOTHER turnover, somehow the Eagles come up with the ball and Mitchell is fouled. He misses two from the line which gives the Tigers the opportunity to take the lead, AND THEY DO, thanks to Terrence Turner. 43-42 and Columbia hasn't scored in forever
After yet another Eagles turnover, the Tiger, with Carruthers at the lead, run the floor, but the ball is deflected out of bounds, off an unidentified Eagle and the Tigers will have the ball after a brief timeout. Boykin, inbounds and is fouled. he hits one of two. 42-41 Eagles
The Eagles once again spread the floor with Travis Leslie running the baseline. After an Eagle turnover, Noel Johnson FINALLY makes a basket and he'll go to the line, but he missed the free throw. Eagles only lead by 2 with 3:27
Boykin makes one of two and with 5:17 to play in the third Cuincy Carruthers nearly takes out my laptop saving an errant pass, before recovering, running the floor and hitting a big bucket. Tigers now only down 4 and the crowd is in to it
After the Eagles take advantage of a 3-on-1 break, Carruthers hits ANOTHER three, but the Tigers don't get back and the Eagles trade a 3 for a 2 adn go back up 7, 42-35. Boykin runs it up the floor and gets fouled, he will shoot down, down 7
The Eagles find Darrius Morrow down low to stretch the lead out to 8 points, but a goal tending puts the Tigers back in striking distance at 38-32
One minute in to the third and Carruthers hits ANOTHER three pointer. It was his big game against Jonesboro that got the Tigers into the semifinals
Columbia leads Fayette County 34-27 with only two quarters remaining in the AAAA state basketball championship. In the second half, Columbia will get the ball first in the thurd and the Tigers come out with a zone, but the Eagles find a seem and Mitchell hits for two more. A 9 point lead for the Eagles
Looking at what both teams have to do in the second half to take home a title...
Fayette County must get Noel Johnson going. He has given the team NO scoring and he picked up a technical foul to boot. Boykin must keep crashing the boards and if Carruthers can keep hitting that three, the team might be able to overtake the Eagles.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have to be happy. Their main man Travis Leslie hasn't contributed much, but his D on Noel Johnson is something Coach McCrary is surely happy about. The Eagles must keep forcing misses as to not let the Tigers set up full court press and just keep going inside. The Eagles have a height advantage. Just keep taking advantage.
the Tigers put the ball in Boykin's hands and he drives, gets fouled, misses the shot and Fayette County heads to the locker room down 34-27.
Cuincy Carruthers and Boykin both have 7 points at the break
Mitchell has 12 points for Columbia and Wilson has 10 at halftime.
With 26.7 to play in the half, Boykin does it again, and this time he gets to the line for an "and one". 15 seconds Fayette County down 7, but with the ball after a silly Eagle turnover.
1:01 to play in the second and Antonio Wilson hits two free throws to put the Eagles up 10. Another dunk by Boykin though gets the crowd up as fayette county only trails by 8
The Eagles call a timeout as Carruthers hits the first free throw. Maybe trying to ice the shooter? If anything that timeout might have calmed the Tigers down. They were running in the red. And you don't want to drive in the red if you are a race car...Oh I messed that Pulp Fiction reference up. A Tiger basket trims the lead to 8 points in favor of Columbia
A nice move by Boykin is for naught as Maurice Dorsey can't hit the 12 footer following a nice pass. Cuincy Caruthers will go to the line for the Tigers as he is fouled while shooting. 3:34 to play, 28-18 Eagles
With 4:30 to play in the second, Addison Flynn is called for a foul, sending Travis Leslie to the line. Flynn is left muttering at the other end
A technical foul was called on Noel Johnson, his second foul of the game, and coach Flynn is getting an explanation on the side line. JerShon Cobb misses both the tech-shots
5:02 to play in the first half and Columbia leads 26-17 as Fayette County has brought Darron Price off the bench
Columbia stretches its lead to 9 points with two quick buckets following the free throw makes by Mitchell. Fayette County calls for a time out
Johnson is still ice cold for the Tigers as he misses another shot. Boykin tried to recreate his follow dunk from earlier, but an Eagle jumped a little higher to snag the rebound. At the other end, Mitchell is fouled and heads back to the line, where he just missed two. He hits the first
with 6:15 to go Flynn hits a 3 for the Tigers, but Columbia answers with a bucket by Morrow to push the lead back to 3, 20-17
Fayette COunty can't inbounds the ball and Jarrod Houston takes it the length of the floor for the 16-14 lead. Another miss by the Tigers allows Columbia to find Leslie and he hits a deuce for an 18-14 lead
To start the second quarter, Addison Flynn hits a long two to knot the game at 14, but Columbia races down and Kenny Mitchell draws the foul. However the score remains tied as he misses both freebies
After one quarter, Fayette County Coach Andre Flynn has to like that his team has played so well without much help from Noel Johnson. Boykin has played well and Cuincy Carruthers looks to be on tonight. As for Columbia, Coach McCrary would probably like to get his star Travis Leslie more touches on the offensive end
Mitchell hits a basket to give Columbia the 14-12 lead after the first quarter
After a scrum for the ball down low on the Eagles' end, Morrow dunks the ball home to give Columbia a short lead. Carruthers hits a three to tie the game at 12. No really this time. It is tied.
Approaching two minutes to play in the first and Kenny Mitchell slams home a miss and then Travis Leslie converts a lay-in following a Tiger turnover. What did I just say? TL needs more touches, and he gets one. It's like I can SEE into the future. I should play the lottery
Just under 3 to play in the first quarter and fayette county leads 9-6 thanks to Carruthers and Boykin. The latter stands only 5'11, but he has a nose for the ball. Thus far he has gathered in three rebounds among the trees down low for Columbia. Travis Leslie needs more touches if you are an Eagles' fan
Carruthers misses another 3, but the ball goes out of bounds back to the Tigers. Off a missed three, Brandon Boykin LITERALLY FLIES in to clean up on a dunk. Yeah, no wonder the guy is going to UGA next year. He will certainly make Mark Richt and Willie Martinez happy with that athleticism.
Under 4 to go in the first and Cuincy Carruthers hits a three from the corner. the Tigers want to full court press after a basket, and two straight times they have forced a turnover only to step out of bounds.
a dunk by Kenny Mitchell gets Columbia to within 1 7-6
5:13 to play in the first quarter 4-4 the score in the Boys AAAA State Title game. Brandon Boykin snatches a missed shot and goes coast to coast, but the shot is just off and the Tigers must regroup
Tuner misses a dunk for the Tigers, and on the other end, Darrius Morrow puts one up and in and THAT ties the game 4-4. Apparently the game wasn't tied before. It now is, and he misses the free throw
A Kenny Mitchell dunk gets the remaining Eagles fans on their feet, but Fayette County wants to run and they knot the game at 4. at the other end a blocking foul is committed by Fayette County
Morrow puts the Eagles up early 2-0 with a tip in. on the other end, Terrence Turner follows a miss and the Tiger D forces a turnover, only to step on the endline while trying to score. 2-2 early in the first
Tipoff time.... Morrow will jump for the Columbia Eagles against Fayette County's Turner
The Tigers do have one advantage in that, since they repped both the boys and girls in the finals, they don't share their side with anyone, while Columbia must now sit by SWD fans. But the Eagles fans MAY be louder
Eagles win the tip
The lineups have been announced
for Fayette County
G B Boykin
F M Dorsey
G C Carruthers
G N Johnson
F T Turner
For Columbia
G J Cobb
G D Forrest
F T Leslie
F K Mitchell
C D Morrow
The Eagles will be sporting white shorts with blue trim and a touch of orange, while the Tigers will go with black short with white trim and a hint of gold
