HENDERSONVILLE The Hendersonville High School boys basketball team never trailed on Tuesday evening.
However, the Commandos were inches away from facing a deficit at the final horn.
Visiting Westmoreland misfired on a pair of 3-pointers in the final seconds, allowing the Commandos to hold on for a 53-51 victory in a Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association Hall of Champions contest.
“You can’t be upset for winning,” Hendersonville sophomore point guard Cooper Smith said. “We’re excited to get the season underway. We’re excited to get the win. You always wish you would have won by more, but a win is a win.”
Eagle senior guard Dalton Leath made a pair of 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter, the first of which tied the contest at 41 and the second pulling his squad back to within a point with 5:43 remaining.
However, Commando senior Austin Kirby scored the next five points to give his squad a six-point cushion.
Hendersonville High senior guard Austin Kirby elevates to shoot a second-quarter 3-pointer in front of Westmoreland seniors Landon Graves (at left) and Caleb Graves (at right) as Commando senior Preston Brown moves into the lane to rebound.
“There were three opportunities where we were up six or seven points and had the ball, and we didn’t capitalize,” Hendersonville head coach Kerry West said. “Those things hurt.”
A pair of late turnovers by the Commandos helped open the door for Westmoreland.
“We need to keep a good head on our shoulders,” Smith said. “We need to make sure we take care of the ball and execute.”
West added, “We went to a little stall game. We had a couple of not smart plays at all. We were lazy with the ball. We were not crisp with the ball.”
Eagle senior guard Caleb Graves spun into the lane for a one-handed shot that fell with 1:38 remaining, and junior teammate Lucas Garrison made two free throws 39 seconds later, tying the contest at 51.
Westmoreland High junior forward Lucas Garrison elevates to shoot a third-quarter 3-pointer.
“Lucas came in and gave us such a different look,” Westmoreland head coach Jason Graves said. “He knocked down some shots.
“I was pleased with how we played and competed with a lot bigger school.”
Hendersonville senior forward Preston Brown was fouled as he put his own missed shot back up with 29.9 seconds showing. Brown sank both free throws, proving to be the difference.
Leath forced an off-balance 3-pointer in the final seconds that was off-target, but senior Griffin Garrison saved the ball inbounds along the baseline. Classmate Zeke Webb gained possession, but his 3-pointer at the buzzer bounced off of the back of the rim.
“We were going to try to get a three to win it,” Jason Graves said. “It’s what we chose to do in the timeout. We didn’t run the play exactly the way we wanted, but we got a good look.”
Brown scored 13 of his game-high 18 points in the first quarter, helping his squad out to a 24-17 lead.
However, he produced just one more field goal for the remainder of the contest.
“He was working well inside,” Smith said. “After that, they started trapping off of him. So, we were looking to swing it more.”
West added, “At halftime, we talked about how they were doubling on him, that skip (pass) threes would be there. We didn’t shoot it great. Preston was big for us though.”
Hendersonville High senior forward Preston Brown dribbles to the basket as Westmoreland senior Griffin Garrison pursues. Brown scored a game-high 18 points in the Commnandos’ 53-51 victory on Tuesday evening.
Lucas Garrison, junior forward Colton Pippen and senior guard Landon Dunigan all came off the bench to provide first-half, offensive production for the Eagles.
Those contributions helped Westmoreland pull even at 28 when Webb made a 3-pointer late in the half.
“We are going to have to shoot the ball well, and we did,” Jason Graves said. “Late in the game, we missed a couple of shots we needed to make, but we battled, created opportunities for ourselves and kept ourselves in the game.”
Ryne Loper’s layin gave the Commandos a 30-28 lead at halftime.
Smith took over in the third quarter, scoring eight of his 15 points in the period (all via layins).
“Cooper Smith made some huge plays down the stretch,” West said.
Smith added, “With Preston getting those points, it helped the rest of us to get open. They were pressuring high (out on the floor in half-court sets).”
Kirby was the third Hendersonville player to score in double figures, providing 12 points.
Leath scored a team-high 15 points, and Garrison produced a career-high 10 points.
Westmoreland High senior guard Dalton Leath scored a team-high 15 points.
“Give Westmoreland credit,” West – whose squad played just one of its five newly-arrived players who came from the school’s football team (junior center Jordan Amis) on Tuesday – said. “They shot extremely well. They made eight 3-pointers.
“Our kids fought and hung in there and found a way to win. We like this team. It’s a great group to work with.”
The Commandos open the regular season with a game at Macon County on Monday, followed by a home game against Clarksville Northwest on Tuesday.
The Eagles host neighboring Portland on Tuesday.
Reach Craig Harris at charris@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7138. Follow him on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.
WESTMORELAND (51) – Dalton Leath 15, Lucas Garrison 10, Caleb Graves 8, Colton Pippen 7, Zeke Webb 7, Landon Dunigan 4.
HENDERSONVILLE (53) – Preston Brown 18, Cooper Smith 15, Austin Kirby 12, Ryne Loper 5, Jason Hernando 3.
Half: 30-28, Hendersonville. Three-point goals: Westmoreland 8 (Leath 3, Garrison 2, Webb 2, Dunigan 1), Hendersonville 3 (Hernando 1, Kirby 1, Loper 1). Records: Westmoreland 0-1, Hendersonville 1-0.