Tipton-Rosemark Academy gets spot in Region’s Final 4 with win over Lausanne
Tipton-Rosemark Academy heard from outsiders it didn’t have a chance to defeat Lausanne on its home floor. The Rebels also heard how difficult it would be to stop senior combo guard Sky Forest. TRA wasn’t bothered by what was said,…
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Continue ReadingTipton-Rosemark Academy heard from outsiders it didn’t have a chance to defeat Lausanne on its home floor. The Rebels also heard how difficult it would be to stop senior combo guard Sky Forest.
TRA wasn’t bothered by what was said, because it knew it could win on the road.
Led by sophomore forward Alex Anderson’s game-high 25 points, the Rebels defeated the Lynx, 56-51 in the second round of the Division II-A West Region Tournament Tuesday night. The win guarantees TRA will be in the Region’s Final Four for the second-consecutive season with the same group that lost to Lausanne in the final four last season.
The Rebels had to fight off Lausanne in the fourth quarter and had to do it from the free throw line, but a lot of those free throws weren’t falling. Senior point guard Tyson Banks went 1 for 2 from the charity stripe four times with his team out front. Senior point guard Andrew Anderson split free throws on two trips to the line. Andrew finished with 11 points.
Sophomore shooting guard Patrick Green went 1 for 2 from the line on one trip.
Alex was the best out of all of them from the line, making 7 of 10 in the fourth quarter and 11 of 14 overall.
“When Alex is dialed in, he’s one of the top scorers in his age group, not just here locally, but in the country because he proved that this summer,” TRA head coach Cedric Anderson said. “When he’s focused, he can score at all three levels.”
The Lynx had to play from behind since the early minutes of the second quarter, and Lausanne couldn’t seem to find a rhythm. Foul trouble was the primary cause of that. Juniors Johnathan DeJurnett and Jalen Bo Montgomery each picked up two fouls in the first quarter.
Montgomery picked up his third in the second quarter. Both DeJurnett and Montgomery played in foul trouble the rest of the way and were easy targets on the defensive end.
DeJurnett didn’t play at all in the second quarter, and the Rebels took advantage of the opportunity. Alex, who’s 6-foot-6, wasn’t contested each time he drove into the lane for easy scores. TRA played zone for most of the game, which forced Montgomery and Forest to give up the basketball.
Because of that, the Lynx couldn’t find a bright spot on the offensive end. Lausanne was down 31-18 early in the third quarter after Green made back-to-back 3s. Dylan Andrews scored six straight points to bring the Lynx within 35-27.
Lausanne got within four twice late in the fourth quarter, but bad shot selections and defensive lapses prevented a comeback to keep the Lynx’ season alive.
“We didn’t come to play,” Lausanne head coach Marvis Davis said. “Unfortunately, we as a team, we didn’t fight like there was no tomorrow. We didn’t play our best basketball. I told them before the game that the most dangerous team is the team that’s playing its best basketball right now, and we didn’t do that.”
Andrews led the Lynx with 13 points. DeJurnett added 10. Junior point guard Nick Floyd and Forest got in foul trouble in the second half and ended up fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
The Region’s Final Four is set
FACS, Harding Academy, TRA, and Northpoint are the final four teams in the Division II-A West Region. The Crusaders defeated ECS Tuesday night by the final score of 51-44. The Rebels will play FACS Friday night at 8:00 p.m.
3 takeaways
- TRA could’ve put the game away early in the fourth quarter if it would’ve made a bulk of its foul shots. The Rebels made 28 of 43 foul shots.
- Lausanne could’ve have used sophomore combo guard Alden Applewhite, who was cleared to play after dealing with a wrist injury for close to two months. At 6-6, Applewhite can see over the defense and would’ve been a viable piece on offense.
- A lot of people aren’t talking about TRA, and the Rebels seem okay with being the underdog. Some of the players mentioned that they don’t want to be the favorite.