South Side Basketball Sweeps District 14AA Tournaments
Brandon Maclin knew the situation.
South Side’s 6-foot-4 senior forward entered the game 14 points shy of 1,000 career points.
He scored 11 first-half points in South Side’s 98-69 District 14-AA semifinal win against visiting Chester County. He scored on a short jumper early in the third quarter.
During a timeout, Hawks assistant coach Kendell Walker told Maclin it would be special if he reached the milestone with a dunk.
That opportunity presented itself with 5 minutes, 35 seconds left in the third quarter.
Chester County’s big man had the ball but held it loose. Maclin reached for the steal and knocked the ball away. There was a scuffle on the floor for possession. Cameron Anderson dove on the ball, got it and launched it down the court, where Maclin waited all alone.
As many fans in the one-third capacity crowd rose to their feet, Maclin soared through the air and slammed the ball hard through the rim with his right hand for 1,001 career points.
Maclin was named the district’s most valuable player.
“I worked all four year for it and I finally got it,” said Maclin, who joined teammates Jailen Anderson, Kobe Ward, Cameron Anderson and Rico Sain on the all-district team.
Hawks coach Damonn Fuller was named district coach of the year.
“It was a great night for us as a team and as individuals,” Fuller said. “Brandon came in and did something that a lot of kids don’t get the chance to do. At the end of the day, he’s a great player, a great kid, and a great student – it just adds to the accolades that he has.”
Due to last week’s snow and ice, district coaches decided to only play through the semifinal round, with region seeding determined by final regular season standings.
The Region 7-AA tournament begins later this week with games played at the higher seeded team. South Side plays host to the fourth-seeded District 13-AA team on Saturday at the Hawks Nest.
And, honestly, the Hawks were happy to get Maclin’s 1,000-point milestone out of the way before region play begins.
“We just want to go out and do something we didn’t get a chance to do last year, and that’s go to the state and win it,” Fuller said. “That’s all the kids want to talk about. Brandon said he wanted to get this 1,000-point milestone behind him and focus on the real award, and the real award is winning a state championship.”
Maclin said it’s time for the Hawks to prove the doubters wrong.
“They didn’t believe that we could live up to the expectations of last year because we have a younger team,” said Maclin, who has offers from Columbia State and ASU Mid-South. “I feel like we’ve learned how to play with each other at the right time.”
The teamwork was on display against Chester County.
The Hawks made 13 3-pointers, with Rico Sain and Hollis Hampton leading with three apiece. All three of Hampton’s came in a consecutive stretch in the fourth quarter, but that wasn’t the most impressive thing the Hawks did behind the 3-point line.
As time expired on the clock. Travis Hartshaw pulled up and nailed a 3-pointer, sending his teammates rushing the court to mob their senior teammate. A rebounding specialist and bruiser beneath the basket, Hartshaw isn’t known as the sharpest shooter on the roster.
After the game, Maclin was asked which was more memorable: his 1,000-point dunk or Hartshaw’s 3-pointer?
“The Travis Hartshaw 3-pointer,” he said with a smile.”
LADY HAWKS WIN DISTRICT TITLE
For the Lady Hawks on Tuesday night, inclement weather only delayed the inevitable.
Neither ice nor snow – nor any other plot twist in a season of uncertainties – could keep the Lady Hawks from their district coronation. They were crowned District 14-AA champions with a 65-27 semifinal victory against visiting McNairy.
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks led South Side with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Tia Hymon had six points and seven rebounds. Ti’Mia Lawson finished with seven points and seven rebounds.
Currie-Jelks, Lawson, LeLe Cawthon and Albany Collins were named to the all-district team.
“It’s always good to win,” said Lady Hawks coach Brent McNeal, who was named district coach of the year. “But now we have to focus on the next step and work this week in practice to get a little better each day.”
They’ve been pretty darn good all year, reaching the No. 1 spot in the final Class AA state rankings.
The Lady Hawks went 13-0 in regular season district games and outscored opponents 873-429, winning by an average of 34.2 points. The two Scotts Hill games were the closest -- the first a 13-point home win, the second a 9-point road win.
Team chemistry is a major factor in their success, according to senior Mykaylah Gray.
“I feel like we have a sisterhood over other teams,” said Gray, who scored four points against McNairy. “We might fuss and fight, but we’re closer than almost every team we play.”
And, yes, it’s a great accomplishment to win a district title, but that was never the ultimate goal.
“Yeah, it’s a good accomplishment,” Gray said, “but we’ve got bigger things to look at outside of the district. We’ve got regions, then we have substate, and then we have state.”
The road to Murfreesboro resumes Saturday, when the Lady Hawks open region play at the Hawks Nest against the No. 4 seed from District 13-AA.
“We’re going to take this win and keep pushing,” Gray said.
BOX SCORES:
GIRLS:
South Side 65, McNairy 27
Halftime score – South Side 30, McNairy 16.
SS scorers – Sharnecce Currie-Jelks 24, Albany Collins 11, T. Lawson 7, T. Hymon 6, T. Cawthon 6, K. Currie 5, M. Gray 4, K. Rogers 2.
SS 3-pointers – A. Collins.
SS record: 20-0 overall.
BOYS:
South Side 98, Chester County 69
Halftime score -- South Side 56, McNairy 27.
SS scorers – Jailen Anderson 17, Brandon Maclin 15, Rico Sain 12, Jaylan Cole 11, Kobe Ward 10, H. Hampton 9, J. Smith 8, B. Baker 5, T. Hartshaw 5, C. Anderson 4, C. England 2.
SS 3-pointers – H. Hampton 3, Sain 3, Ward 2, J. Anderson, B. Baker, B. Maclin, J. Smith, T. Hartshaw.
SS record: 19-1 overall.