BY NOAH GRIFFITH
FOR THE OBSERVER
SMITHS STATION –– After getting swept in humiliating fashion by the rival Lee-Scott Academy Warriors just 10 days prior, the Glenwood Gators fought to the finish in two riveting games against the Warriors on their home court on Monday, Jan. 26. The Glenwood girls hung on for an exciting win, while the Lee-Scott boys took home the victory.
“It’s always a big game (between us and Lee-Scott),” said Glenwood head coach Dusty Perdue. “The kids love each other, they get along, talk back and forth, they go play pickleball in Opelika. It’s really the parents that don’t get along. Me and their coaches are friends, too. It’s just good competition.”
Here’s a recap of each game, with the boy’s action on top and the girls’ below.
Boys
Not two weeks ago, the Glenwood boys had lost by 25 at Lee-Scott, who locked up the region title. The Gators didn’t make it so easy for the Warriors this time around.
Despite falling behind by 21 early in the third quarter, Glenwood fought back to make it a one-possession game late in the fourth. Nonetheless, even Braylen Alexander’s buzzer-beating three-pointer was too little, too late, as Lee-Scott held on to win 76-74.
“We needed a come-to-Jesus (after losing to Lee-Scott in the first matchup) because we were getting away from basketball a little bit. We came up with the motto: ‘next play,’” Perdue said. “There’s nothing we can do about the past, but we have to get ready to play the next game the right way. I thought they did that tonight. I was proud of the way we fought back.”
Lee-Scott went on a 10-0 run between the end of the first half and the beginning of the second. It was 59-38 in favor of the Warriors with the clock ticking towards 6:00 in the third quarter. Lee-Scott finished the half particularly hot from three-point territory, with Chapman Harris hitting from deep four times with 18 first-half points, and Haiden Harper adding another three-pointer to close out the half with 12 of his own.
It could’ve gotten out of hand just like it did in the first matchup, but the young Gators played with their heads up to the end.
Junior Trey Claridy hit a three-pointer to complete a 7-0 Glenwood run to end the third quarter with a 66-59 Lee-Scott lead. Alexander, the star-studded freshman, then splashed a deep ball to open the fourth, and that brought the Gators within four.
Just when the Warriors got the cushion back to eight points, sophomore Tyler Claridy splashed a three-pointer and Alexander added to it with another quick two. That sudden five-point run made cut the Glenwood deficit to three with 1:36 remaining in the game.
A pair of missed free throws by Brooks Zachry gave life to a potential Gator comeback, but a pair of free throw makes from Harper was all the Warriors needed to outlast Glenwood.
Down four with 30 seconds remaining, Glenwood missed three consecutive three-pointers on the same possession before turning the ball over on a traveling foul. Tyler Claridy got open and sent the first one up, then the rebound got kicked out to Alexander for another one that missed, and he followed his own shot for a rebound and kicked it back out to Claridy who missed again, but Alexander rebounded it and was called for travelling before he put it back up.
Even though the Gators got a few good looks from beyond the arch on that possession, Perdue wanted his team to go for a quick two in that situation. Since Harper only made one-of-two free-throws for the Warriors on the next possession, that would’ve set up the buzzer-beater that Alexander hit to tie the game.
Instead, the buzzer-beater only made Perdue chuckle and throw his hands up in disbelief. Despite the outstanding heave by Alexander, which gave him 35 points in the game, Glenwood lost by two.
“We’re down by four, we’re not down by three. We threw up three ugly threes, and we didn’t need to,” Perdue said. “You have to play the odds, and we didn’t do that. That’s just our guys not knowing the game.”
In the end, it was an evenly-matched game fueled by impressive shooting and skilled ball handlers. Lee-Scott forced 13 turnovers, while Glenwood forced 11, and both teams had multiple scoring threats.
Alexander led all scorers with 35 points, while Glenwood’s Trey and Tyler Claridy scored eight a piece. For Lee-Scott, Harris led the way with 20 points, Harper tallied 19 and Zachry added nine.
With the win, Lee-Scott improved to 20-3 with a perfect 6-0 slate in Class 3A Area 6. With the loss, Glenwood fell to 12-12 with a 3-3 record in area play. Each team has two more regular-season matchups before heading into the area tournament start Feb. 6.
Girls
The Glenwood girls avenged a 33-point loss to Lee-Scott 10 days earlier with a gutsy, 60-59 win.
Unlike the boys, the Gator girls came out hot, taking a 17-5 lead at the end of the first quarter behind a 12-0 start. However, the Warriors battled back and made the Gators fight for the win. It wasn’t until Glenwood senior Emersyn White made a last-second defensive stand that Perdue pumped his fists victoriously.
“The horn went off, and I was really tickled. I said, ‘We finally won a big one,’” Perdue said. “That’s how high school, private school basketball is supposed to be. It was fun.”
Lee-Scott sophomore Clarke Ivatt was on a mission, and her offensive prowess kept Lee-Scott in the game several times when Glenwood threatened to run away with it. Ivatt showed off, going 17-for-17 from the free-throw line, splashing five three-pointers and sparking the Warriors with 42 points.
Even in a terrific effort by Ivatt, it was her final shot that decided it. With 13.5 seconds left in the game and Lee-Scott trailing by one, the Warriors made the obvious decision — put the ball in her hands. She shot the ball over an outstretched White for a potential game-winner, but it missed barely to the left. White secured the rebound and launched it to a teammate down the court as time expired.
Eighteen points from star junior Halle Palmore led Glenwood in the first half, but White’s ability to effectively guard Ivatt was the story of the second half. Lee-Scott held Palmore to just two points in the second half and forced 11 turnovers in that frame, so White’s effort to slow down the Warrior’s star was a necessity.
“[White] is our defensive stopper,” Perdue said. “She works really hard and gives a lot of energy — I don’t even like to take her out unless she’s in foul trouble.”
Palmore’s scoring ability has carried Glenwood all season, but the offensive output from sophomore Regan Bone, in addition to White’s defense, stood out throughout the contest. Bone, who has worked her way up to a starting role with impressive play throughout the season, racked up 14 points and helped keep the Gators offense strong when the Warriors keyed in on Palmore.
Ivatt and Palmore’s scoring efforts easily led their squads. Alongside Ivatt, Maggie Herndon added 12 points, and Railey Langford scored five for Lee-Scott. For Glenwood, Bone tallied 14, and Lillie Moody scored 12.
The additional contributions from Palmore’s supporting cast made a huge difference from Glenwood’s last matchup with Lee-Scott, when the Warriors won 66-33. A change to a man-to-man defensive scheme also played a pivotal role in the Gators’ turnaround.
“[The first time we played,] I made a bad decision trying to play a zone defense against [Lee-Scott] the way they shoot it in their gym, and we paid for it,” Perdue said. “Tonight we didn’t play much zone, and we met their physicality tonight. We didn’t match them physically at their place, but I guess that’s what being at home is all about.”
This was a crucial win for Glenwood, who had lost the previous three matchups with Lee-Scott. It helped Glenwood improve to 13-12 and 5-1 in Class 3A Area 6, while Lee-Scott fell to 15-9 and 5-1 in area play. The two remaining non-region games for each team will help determine the tiebreaker for who gets the No. 1 seed in the area tournament next weekend.
