4 Takeaways: Tri-Cities at St Pius X

<p>If you wanted some excitement during the current GHSA playoff run, dropping in on a pair of teams Wednesday that combined for 46 wins made a lot of sense. And Tri-Cities visiting St. Pius X in the 5A quarterfinals didn’t disappoint as I took it in on NFHS, as both squads went after it for 32 minutes plus overtime with Tri-Cities emerging on an [player_tooltip player_id="870134" first="Eli" last="King"] (pictured above) lay-up with 1.2 left in the extra frame for a riveting 73-71 win.</p> <p>Here are some takeaways from the game:</p> <p><em><strong>THE VALUE OF VETERANS</strong></em></p> <p>King, a senior, was terrific all game for the Bulldogs, getting 15 of his 17 pts in the 2nd half and OT while also being a major factor on the glass as the visitor’s size advantage was a huge factor in the game. Tri-Cities plays 5 more seniors with a ton of experience going to battle together in [player_tooltip player_id="869578" first="Peyton" last="Daniels"], [player_tooltip player_id="869620" first="Davon" last="Cottle"], [player_tooltip player_id="869613" first="Davorian" last="Rudolph"], Mario McIntosh and [player_tooltip player_id="1011333" first="Jackson" last="Watson"], and together with experienced and talented junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="870187" first="Simeon" last="Cottle"] (18 pts) it makes for a balanced and explosive lineup. That savvy didn’t translate into free-throw shooting efficiency however (neither team shot it well), as they went going 14-25 at the stripe, and it bears noting that the Bulldogs were fortunate in this one having had chances in regulation to perhaps ice the game and didn’t.</p> <p><em><strong>STAR SHINES</strong></em></p> <p>As is often the case, Daniels was the lead man for the Bulldogs at the offensive end (don’t sleep on the Vanderbilt-commit’s defensive prowess either), finishing with 33 pts before fouling out 33 secs into OT, so King and the Cottle brothers stepped up in the extra session to lead their team. But the 6-2 Daniels is a joy to watch create, slash, and bomb from range at the offensive end, a truly special talent that Coach Jerry Stackhouse in Nashville is surely thrilled to insert into his system.</p> <p><em><strong>A FANTASTIC RUN</strong></em></p> <p>This group of St Pius seniors has put together a 4-year run that any group would be envious of, tallying 101 wins over that span while capturing 4 straight Region titles. The core group of dynamic PG [player_tooltip player_id="754331" first="Brookes" last="Kahlert"], wings Trey Acklin and Cal Peterson, and forwards Daniel Beverly and Jack Verrill made a huge mark on the program and will be missed for sure. Kahlert was bottled up tight Wednesday night by a rotating cadre of defenders in a clear strategy to minimize his effectiveness with the ball, while Acklin rebounded from a slow start to post 8 huge points in the 2nd half during a comeback that saw the Golden Lions storm back from 11 down with just over 4 minutes to left to force the OT. Beverly had the game-tying bucket late in regulation and was an absolute battler going toe to toe with Tri-Cities’ size and athleticism all night, while Peterson’s deft shooting (four 3s and 13 pts) was right in line with the kind of production he’s posted for his career. The future however isn’t devoid of hope as this is a proven program with staying power, and look for slick 2022 guard Devin Portee (a spectacular game of shooting, slashing and offensive variety off the bench with 20 pts and four 3s) to join rotation regulars fellow juniors Owen McCurdy and Eamonn Kenah to provide the base for yet another Lions Region title chase.</p> <p><em><strong>UP NEXT</strong></em></p> <p>Tri-Cities returns to the friendly confines of East Point for the semis and welcomes in Dutchtown (23-7), a hot team on a 7-game win streak that is catching fire a the right time off an impressive road quarterfinal win out at Clarke Central.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>