HANCEVILLE —
Nathaniel Potts couldn’t miss. At least it seemed that way in Wednesday’s Class 5A regional semifinal. Potts scored a game-high 20 points to help Athens beat Mortimer Jordan 74-48 and advance to the finals Friday.
Potts started the game on fire, hitting every shot he put up in a 13-point first half effort.
“This is what we’ve come to expect from him,” Athens coach Stace Tedford said about Potts. “He’s that kind of player.”
Following a back-and-forth first quarter, Athens’ defense pushed the pace before the half as the Golden Eagles took a 35-20 lead into the break. The defensive pressure proved too much for Mortimer Jordan to handle as the game wore on.
“We didn’t do anything different than what we’ve done all year,” Tedford said. “Our defense has got us here and I hope our defense keeps us going. I joke with our guys that we haven’t beat anyone with offense yet. We’ve beaten everyone on the defensive end.”
While the defense applied pressure, the Golden Eagles couldn’t miss at the other end. Athens had nine different players score at least four points in the win. In addition to Potts’ 20 points and 9 rebounds, Neil Malone added 14 in the win.
Despite the lopsided score, Mortimer Jordan made a run at the beginning of the fourth quarter that pulled the Blue Devils to within single digits. That would be their final push, however, as Athens closed the game with a 16-4 run
“Coach told us that when they make a run, just to get it back on defense,” said Cameron Whitt. “We let our defense take over. When the offense isn’t hitting shots, we have to step up. They’re going to make runs, but we’re going to make runs too.”
As good as defense was, the Golden Eagles shooting was even better. Athens shot 50 percent from the floor on the night.
“I felt we had to make them shoot from the outside,” Mortimer Jordan coach Lynn Elkins said. “We stayed in there for a while, but we didn’t get back in our transition defense fast enough and their lead got to 14, 15 points. From that point on it was an uphill battle. We fought back and made a run, but we were just too far behind.”
Athens will play Lee at 2 p.m. Friday for a chance to advance to the state final four next week.
Sports
Related Photos
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Nathaniel Potts dunks in the third quarter of Wednesday's regional semifinal. Potts scored 20 points as Athens advanced to play Lee Friday at 2 p.m.
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Athens’ Johnnie Anderson (4) goes up for a basket under tight defense from Mortimer Jordan Wednesday afternoon in Hanceville. The Golden Eagles 74-48 win over the Blue Devils places them in the finals Friday against Lee-Huntsville. News Courier/Jonathan Deal
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Nathanial Potts (20) soars above the competition on his way to a 20-point performance Wednesday against Mortimer Jordan. News Courier/Jonathan Deal
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Athens' Dedrick Stinnentt (11) eyes the basket from the free-throw line Wednesday. Nathanial Potts (20) is in background. News Courier/Jonathan Deal
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Senior Kamarine King (45) battles for a rebound around the basket against Mortimer Jordan during Athens advance to the finals. News Courier/Jonathan Deal
Discussion
Golden Eagles fly into regional finals
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