Community High Visits Formidable Central Magnet

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PICTURED: [player_tooltip player_id='2298206' first='Jake' last='Maddox']</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Central Magnet (7-4) overcome a pitiful first quarter to defeat visiting Community High (3-8) Thursday night, 60-54. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Garrett Florida's</strong> two-foot layup put the game pretty much out of reach with under 30 seconds to play. The senior-laded Tigers managed the final couple of minutes perfectly. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Though Head Coach Douglas Worsley largely rotated his three bigs all night, he elected to close with them on the floor together. <strong>Garrett Florida</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2298206' first='Jake' last='Maddox']</strong>, <strong>Owen Zubkus</strong>. Their stout post defense and consistent defensive rebounding prohibited the Vikings from getting second chances. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Vikings of Community foraged out to a 20-8 lead late in the opening quarter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1677082' first='Mason' last='Brown']'s</strong> two free throws helped CMHS scratch out their 11th and 12th points. Still, Community led 23-12 after 1Q.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Comeback?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An and-1 from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2298206' first='Jake' last='Maddox']</strong> helped, but the hosts still needed to overcome a 9-point deficit. Thirty seconds later Maddox completed a second and-1. Community held strong 27-18 with 4:37 left in the first half.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maddox dominated the offensive glass. The senior baseball/basketball star played above the trees, collecting multiple rebounds in the second quarter alone. With his massive contributions Central Magnet clawed back into it. They trailed 29-23 late in the second quarter. Playing like they can, Central Magnet closed the gap even more. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsTN/status/1735479989267505598?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/PrepHoopsTN/status/1735479989267505598?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After [player_tooltip player_id='2298206' first='Jake' last='Maddox'] completed a challenged fastbreak layup in the final seconds, Community owned a meager 2-point lead, 29-27.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Halftime.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Partial Rosters</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Central Magnet (6-4)<br>#0 Alijah Dean*<br>#1 [player_tooltip player_id='2298206' first='Jake' last='Maddox']*<br>#3 [player_tooltip player_id='1677082' first='Mason' last='Brown']*<br>#20 Owen Zubkus*<br>#21 Carson Wood*</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#22 Garrett Florida</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Community (3-7)<br>#1<br>#3<br>#11<br>#12<br>#32</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Closing Time</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1677082' first='Mason' last='Brown']</strong> poked a cloud with a rainmaker to push the Tigers up 52-51. Community High countered with a three-pointer and the Tigers replied in kind. The game was 55-54 with just over three minutes to play in the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Community tried to keep pace, but their three-pointers stopped falling and they lacked any meaningful post presence. In truth their luck ran out against a cohesive, stronger Tiger team.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->