Gallatin High sophomore guard Dakota Bailey scored nine points in the Green Wave’s 68-44 victory over Glencliff on Friday evening.
GALLATIN The Gallatin High boys basketball team experienced something it had not experienced often in this season with a youthful squad, but the Green Wave appeared to like it very well.
Host Gallatin controlled play from the beginning in Friday evening’s 68-44 victory over Glencliff in the BodyGuard Sports Medicine Christmas Classic.
Sophomore guard Zyun Mason scored a career-high 24 points, with 20 coming in the first half.
“It’s definitely something we’ve not done much this year, control teams from start to finish,” Mason said. “We really tried to work on our defense like we do in practice, and it gave us a lot of easy baskets tonight.”
Gallatin (3-8) forced Glencliff (1-9) into over 20 turnovers while converting those takeaways into points.
The Green Wave connected on 10 three-pointers, just one short of their season high.
“It’s good for the kids to get the opportunity to play in a game like this and to see some things come together,” Gallatin head coach Bobby Luna said. “We played really well in the first half, and Zyun Mason had a terrific first half for us. He’s one that is always communicating on the floor in game or in practice, and he’s a kid that tries to do things the right way.”
Gallatin opened up a 17-5 lead after one quarter of play and kept the pressure applied throughout.
Glencliff cut the lead inside of single digits to start the second quarter when Leonard Lewter connected on a 3-pointer, but Mason came down on the next possession and converted on a layin as he was fouled. Mason hit the ensuing free throw to recreate a 12-point margin.
“We really look for each other out on the floor, and we’re starting to get more comfortable,” Mason said. “It’s good to get a win like this to help us keep building.”
Luna added, “It was a great win for this group because of how well we played on both ends of the floor. We’ve been a good perimeter-shooting team for the most part, so it’s good to see that continue.”
Green Wave sophomore guard Dakota Bailey made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and junior teammate Marlon Mitchell provided 10 points.
Lewter and John Topacco paced Glencliff offensively with 11 points each.
The Green Wave played without junior forward Jordan Mason, who was out of town on a trip that was planned before he joined the team.
The Green Wave were slated to host Clarksville Northeast on Saturday evening in their final game of BodyGuard Sports Medicine Christmas Classic, and Gallatin is scheduled to face Hillwood in Hendersonville High’s Trickett Honda Holiday Classic on Dec. 28.
GLENCLIFF (44) – Leonard Lewter 11, John Topacco 11, Deng Kour 7, Keyaun Elliot 6, Beng Akok 4, Tim Lewter 3, Ali Baldin 2.
GALLATIN (68) – Zyun Mason 24, Marlon Mitchell 10, Dakota Bailey 9, Mark Brummett 7, Nigel Black 6, Collin Minor 5, Anthony Woods 3, Zool Kueth 2, Perrish Cloud 2.
Half: 36-19, Gallatin. Three-point goals: Glencliff 6 (Topacco 3, Kour 1, L. Lewter 1, T. Lewter 1); Gallatin 10 (Bailey 3, Mason 3, Mitchell 1, Black 1, Minor 1, Woods 1). Records: Glencliff 1-9, Gallatin 3-8.