WESTMORELAND Lucas Garrison isn’t wasting any time.
Garrison has made a quick impact for the Westmoreland High School boys basketball team this season.
On Tuesday night, Garrison made an impact as soon as he entered the game. It was a lasting one too as he poured in a career-high 17 points to help the Eagles capture a 57-42 victory over visiting Portland.
“I’m pretty confident,” Garrison said. “I’ve waited for two seasons. It started with hard work in the offseason.
“I know my role.”
Westmoreland High junior forward Lucas Garrison dribbles past Portland senior Caelum Utley during third-quarter action. Garrison scored a team-high 17 points in the Eagles’ 57-42 victory on Tuesday evening.
The 6-foot-4 junior forward comes off of the bench, but he is Westmoreland’s second-leading scorer so far, providing 10 points seven days earlier in a two-point loss at Hendersonville.
“It starts with our second team in practice,” Garrison said. “They push us every day so that we know what to expect when we get in there.”
The Eagles (1-1) took control early in Tuesday’s contest, and the Panthers (1-2) couldn’t recover.
“We have a lot of guys trying to find their way,” Portland head coach Chris Carney said. “We’re trying to find our identity. It’s (senior forward) Caelum Utley, and then, there’s not a lot of consistency besides him.
“They had a good game plan. They limited his touches.”
Utley is one of only two returning starters for the Panthers, along with senior classmate Jay Crutchfield.
Though he finished with a game-high 18 points, Utley was limited to five points in the first half. That helped Westmoreland surge out to a 30-13 lead by halftime.
“We came in wanting to take Utley away and make somebody else make plays,” Eagle head coach Jason Graves said. “They had some shots go in and out. They executed against what we did, but it went our way.
“We rebounded well. With our (lack of) size, we have to rebound the basketball. (Giving up) 13 points in a half against a good ball team is good any night.”
Garrison scored six points during an 8-2 run to close the first quarter, extending the Eagles’ three-point lead to 15-6.
Garrison and senior guards Landon Dunigan and Dalton Leath made second-quarter 3-pointers, and Westmoreland junior forward Colton Pippen had a pair of interior baskets in the second stanza, helping create the 17-point margin.
The lead swelled to 20 points when Eagle senior Caleb Graves made another 3-pointer midway through the third quarter, but Portland outscored the host squad 16-3 over the next six-plus minutes.
Utley and classmate Erik Kirk combined for 14 of those points, and sophomore Bryce Keith turned a steal into a layin to cap the surge, pulling his squad to within seven points (40-33) with 5:23 remaining.
Portland High senior guard Erik Kirk elevates for a first-quarter shot in front of Westmoreland junior Colton Pippen. Kirk scored eight points.
“The halfcourt trap bothered us,” Jason Graves said. “It’s hard to simulate it in practice. I think we can fix that, but I’m glad we saw it.
“Give Portland credit. They could have quit, but they came back and cut it to seven. That shows a lot of character on their part.”
Carney added, “We battled. It was just too big of a hole to dig out of. We’re just searching, searching for the right way to play on offense and on defense. We have to take this Thanksgiving time, practice and see what’s best for us.”
However, Garrison scored Westmoreland’s next eight points, sinking four consecutive free throws and converting back-to-back layins thanks to passes from Leath.
Westmoreland High senior guard Dalton Leath elevates for a one-handed shot in the lane over Portland sophomore Dawson Simmons during second-quarter action. Leath scored a team-high 17 points.
“We’ve played three real good halves of basketball, and we survived this last half,” Jason Graves said. “We’ve shot the ball well, and that helps.
“Defensively, we’re getting better. Our rotation has to get a little better, but we’re competing. We’re rebounding. If you do those things, you’ll play well.”
Leath also scored 17 points, and both Pippen and Caleb Graves provided nine points.
“This group has been together so long,” Garrison said. “We’ve played together since middle school. The team chemistry is there. We know each other’s roles and try to stick to that.
Carney appeared to be assessed two technical fouls in the final minute of the game, which would result in an ejection. He actually had to leave the court, but the officials conferred after the game and ruled it to be a miscommunication. Carney was only assessed one technical foul and thus should not have been ejected.
Therefore, he will not be faced with having to miss two games nor with a fine, which are the penalties for coaches who are ejected from a game.
Portland swept the season series between the neighboring rivals last season.
“This is a real big deal,” Garrison said. “This is the one we put the mark beside on the schedule. It’s a big rivalry game.
“Then, we’ve got Macon (County) this Saturday, another (rivalry).”
The Eagles play at Macon County on Saturday. The Panthers host White House on Tuesday and Gallatin on Friday.
Reach Craig Harris at charris@mtcngroup.com or at 615-575-7138. Follow him on Twitter @HarrisGNESports.
PORTLAND (42) – Caelum Utley 18, Erik Kirk 8, Jay Crutchfield 6, Bryce Keith 5, Dawson Simmons 3, Luke Jones 2.
WESTMORELAND (57) – Lucas Garrison 17, Dalton Leath 17, Caleb Graves 9, Colton Pippen 9, Landon Dunigan 3, Zeke Webb 2.
Half: 30-13, Westmoreland. Three-point goals: Portland 3 (Crutchfield 2, Simmons 1), Westmoreland 5 (Leath 2, Dunigan 1, Garrison 1, Graves 1). Records: Portland 1-2, Westmoreland 1-1.