Cameron Fleming stepped to the line and calmly sank two free throws with 8.5 seconds left, enabling McAdams to close out 2022 with a 47-45 victory over St. Andrew’s. The Bulldogs ended the calendar year 9-1 with eight straight victories against four 4A teams, two 3A teams and two 2A teams.
“We came here to win,” Fleming said. “We had so much on the line.”
Just as important were two blocked shots in the final 30 seconds. A block by Willie Perteet with the score tied gave McAdams the ball, leading to Fleming’s free throws. After the free throws, Larrson Calhoun drove to the basket for St. Andrew’s, but Perteet knocked the ball out of his hand. Joe Cook grabbed it for St. Andrew’s but Jamar Teague blocked his shot as the game ended.,
A key part of the game was the final two minutes of the first half, a 10-2 McAdams run featuring three-point baskets by Fleming and Marcus Ball that gave the Bulldogs a 29-26 lead at the break. St. Andrew’s outscored McAdams 12-7 in the third quarter for a 38-36 lead entering the final period.
“The third quarter, for some reason, is usually our worst quarter,” said coach Kenyon Ross.
The Bulldogs have struggled to make free throw, this season, but converted nine of 12 in the final quarter for the victory.
Fleming led the Bulldogs with 16 points, including six of six from the line. Tyrick Davis and Jacquese Greer had 11 each. Cook had a game-high 25 points for St. Andrew’s, including eight in the third quarter. Calhoun scored nine points on three 3-pointers.
For McAdams, it was another victory over a quality opponent. St. Andrew’s reached the third round of the 3A playoffs last year and entered the game with an 8-4 record, including a victory over Murrah a 6A school.
Ross changed up the defense for the game, going to a 2-3, rather than the Bulldogs’ usual man, “to keep St. Andrew’s off balance.”
The victory at St. Andrew’s came two days after the Bulldogs concluded the McAdams Holiday Tournament with wins over Leake Central 79-58 and Kosciusko 70-53.
McAdams’ only loss came against Leake Central, 60-56 November 18. This time, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 28-8 first quarter lead which Ross attributed to playing in front of a home crowd. “We haven’t played many home games. We have been on the road a lot. The kids came out with a lot of energy, their focus ready to play. Especially being at home, being in front of family and friends”
But he added, “I did not like that we did not sustain the energy throughout the rest of the ball game. We have those spurts where we play well, have one good quarter, then go into lapses.”
Davis led the Bulldogs with 17 points, six rebounds and three steals. Fleming and Greer each had 13 points.
Despite the easy win against Kosciusko, Ross was not pleased with his team’s performance. “We did not play together as a team.”
The game was tied 4-4 early before the Bulldogs took command with a 10-0 run. McAdams led 19-8 after one quarter and maintained a double digit lead the rest of the way.
The difference was three point shooting -- the Bulldogs made eight, the Whippets one -- and free throws, with McAdams holding a whopping 20-2 edge.
Davis and Fleming had 24 points each and Greer added 11.
Girls
The Lady Bulldogs dropped all three games, 53-23 against Leake , 73-37 against Kosciusko and 46-26 against St. Andrew’s.
“We started off slow. Too slow,” coach Ashley Brown said after the Kosciusko game. “We’re trying to get a rhythm.”
Both teams started slow offensively in the Kosciusko game. The Lady Bulldogs failed to score the first three minutes, but trailed only 2-0. McAdams took a 5-2 lead on two baskets by Bryia Harmon and a free throw by Kenady Cross, and led for the final time 7-5 on another Hamon basket.
But Kosciusko then ran off 19 straight points as McAdams failed to score the final four minutes of the first quarter and the first three minutes of the second quarter. Kosciusko led 65-25 after three quarters, but was outscored 12-6 in the final period played with a running clock.
Cross led McAdams with 15 points. Harmon, Shawnessey Martin and Ameri Gadson had six each. Cross was also the team’s leading scorer against Leake Central with eight points. Samaria Evans had 12 points against St. Andrew’s.
The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs began Region 6-1A play Tuesday against Leake County and have road games Friday and Saturday with Noxapater and Choctaw County,
The Tournament
There were 16 games played over two days by teams from 11 schools, with large and enthusiastic crowds throughout.
“Great atmosphere,” said Ross, who also serves as McAdams’ athletic director and assistant principal. “It’s something that coach Jackson envisioned when he put this tournament together a few years back. A family environment.”
Wilson Jackson, who passed away this year, was a long time coach at McAdams and the gymnasium is named in his honor.
“I would like to thank the teams that came out, the fans and the staff at McAdams High School for making everything successful,” Ross said.
