BASKETBALL ROUND 3 RECAP AND UPPERSTATE CHAMPIONSHIP 2012 PREVIEW

I figured it would be a long time before I would see a High School basketball game any where close to the game I saw back in December 2010 at the finals of the Upwards Classic between Gaffney and Irmo. That game had every thing including overtime, which was won by the Gaffney Indians 85 to 84. The round three playoff meeting between Number 1 Irmo and Number 2 Gaffney had the billing to be an instant classic and it most definitely was. These two games between the Irmo Yellow Jackets and the Gaffney Indians were the best two basketball games I have ever seen. The 2012 round 3 playoff game, on Tuesday February 21st, will have to be "Best Basketball Game I Ever Saw" number 1A and the Upwards Classic Championship in 2010 as 1B. The game Tuesday meant more because it sent Gaffney to the Upper State Championship Game. Let's recap the thrilling Gaffney 59 to 58 victory over Irmo in a game played in front of an overflow crowd at The Burial Ground at Gaffney High School.

Round 3 Irmo @ Gaffney..... The top-ranked Irmo Yellow Jackets came out smoking hot in the 1st half against the Tribe. They hit 14 of their 21 1st half field goal attempts to lead 18 to 15 after the 1st quarter and 34 to 27 at the half. Clemson commitment Jordan Roper scored 16 0f Irmo's 34 points in the 1st half. The Indians missed several shots from close range and gave up two many easy baskets but, they were still within striking distance.

The 2nd half started with Irmo increasing their lead to eight points early in the 3rd quarter but, behind good defense and some timely baskets from L.J. Peak and Quinshad Davis the Tribe cut the Irmo lead to 41 to 39 after the third quarter. The Tribe played much better defense in the 3rd quarter holding the Jackets to only seven points.

The 4th quarter started and I knew the game was going down to the very end. Little did I know was the kind of a dramatic end we were going to get. Gaffney's L.J. Peak tied the game at 46 with a tip end with 5:14 left in the game but, fell and hit his head on the floor and had to leave the game bleeding. Peak would return less than 2:00 minutes later with a band aid over his eye and wearing another uniform top. His normal number 10 jersey was covered with blood so he was wearing number 50. The Tribe would take their first lead since the 1st quarter at the 2:56 mark of the 4th quarter on a jumper in the lane by Cobby McDowell that made the score 49 to 48. The noise in The Burial Ground was deafening. The teams kept battling back and forth but, with 18.6 seconds left in the game and the score tied at 55, L.J. Peak went to the line and hit two free throws to put the Tribe up for good at 57 to 55. Irmo got the ball back trailing by two with 10 seconds left, Gaffney's Micheal Wright came up with his second huge steal in the last two minutes of the game and drove in for an uncontested layup to put Gaffney up 59 to 55. A desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer by Irmo made the final score Gaffney 59 Irmo 58. It was an unbelievable game and now it is on to the Bilo Center in Greenville for the Upper State Championship Game against the Dorman Cavaliers.

My View From The Stands.....(1) I got to my seat in The Burial Ground around 6:00 PM and there were a few hundred people already in the gym. (2) I was a little concerned at halftime with all the easy baskets Irmo was getting. Their star guard Jordan Roper was killing Gaffney with 16 1st half points. (3) The Gaffney coaches made halftime adjustments by putting their best defender Quinshad Davis on Roper for most of the 2nd half. They also played L.J. Peak on him when Davis wasn't on him. They are both 6'4" with long arms and they definitely altered his shots. He only scored 10 points in the 2nd half and only had two field goals. (4) Gaffney's two senior starters Quinshad Davis and Micheal Wright refused to let the Tribe loose this game. Their play and leadership has been PRICELESS during the playoffs.

UPPER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW

Gaffney vs Dorman..... The Dorman Cavaliers come into this game with a 25 and 3 record. They have defeated Woodmont, Richland Northeast and Lancaster to make it to their second consecutive Upper State Championship Game. They were defeated handily by Irmo last season in this game. The Cavaliers have defeated Gaffney twice this season. They defeated the Tribe early when the Tribe only had seven players because the football players were still playing football. The second time they defeated Gaffney the football players, except for Quinshad Davis, were with the team but, had not practiced but a couple of times and were not in basketball shape. They will be playing a much different Gaffney team this time. The Cavaliers have improved game by game as the season has played out. Their star player is Curtis Webb who averages 16.1 points per game. The Cavaliers win with defense and they are also playing with a lot of confidence and playing with a chip on their shoulder. They feel like they have been overlooked and haven't gotten the recognition they feel like they deserve. They are averaging 63.9 points per game and they are giving up 50.1 per game. They have really been good at finding ways to win the close game. Their Head Coach Thomas Ryan has done an outstanding job with this team.

The Gaffney Indians come into this game with a 21 and 5 record. They have defeated Mauldin, Easley and Irmo to get to the Upper State Championship Game for the 3rd time in 4 years. They won the State Championship in 2010 and were State runner-up in 2009. It will really be a different Gaffney team that Dorman will play this time around, as they have only lost one game with their whole team together. They lost the season finale to Spartanburg in a game that they had nothing to play for and they were uninspired. The Tribe has been led in scoring by L.J. Peak with an average of 18.0 per game. They have really gotten inspired play from their two senior starters Micheal Wright and Quinshad Davis. Both of these two were starters on the 2010 State Championship team and Peak was a key reserve as an eighth grader. The Tribe has averaged 68.9 points per game this season and they have given up 55.7 per game.

TRIBE FACTS..... Gaffney Head Coach Mark Huff is 5 and 0 in Upper State Championship Games as the Indians' Head Coach.

See you at the Bilo Center Friday night February 24th at 8:30 PM for the Upper State Championship Game between the Gaffney Indians and the Dorman Cavaliers. Tribe Blitz will have a recap of the game on Monday February 27th and if the Tribe wins a State Championship Preview on Thursday March 1st.

Until Next Time.