HENDERSONVILLE Despite winning its last three games, the Gallatin High School boys basketball team wasn’t able to build on its momentum, suffering a 59-49 loss to Hillwood on Monday night in Hendersonville High’s Trickett Honda Boys Basketball Classic.
Despite a competitive first half, offensive struggles coupled with several turnovers by Gallatin allowed the Hilltoppers to pull away.
“We didn’t really play good in any phase of the game,” Green Wave head coach Bobby Luna said. “In the second half, we turned it over, and they got a 10-point run. We didn’t make shots, which just aided them. We had a hard time keeping the ball in front of us, and we weren’t very good on the offensive glass. Offensively, when we had good shots, we didn’t covert, and we turned it over too many times.”
Gallatin High junior forward Mark Brummett maneuvers inside as Hillwood senior Jakob Bomar defends. Brummett scored a team-high 15 points in Monday evening’s 59-39 loss to Hillwood.
Junior forward Mark Brummett, who finished with a team-high 15 points, provided an initial offensive spark for Gallatin, scoring eight points in the first quarter.
The Green Wave’s only lead of the game came in the first quarter, after a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Collin Minor gave Gallatin a 14-11 advantage.
Hillwood began the second quarter with a 10-0 run to establish a 23-14 lead. Gallatin managed to cut the deficit to two points after a 9-2 run of its own, which included a 3-pointer from junior guard Marlon Mitchell and layup by junior guard Anthony Woods before halftime.
However, things fell apart for Gallatin throughout the rest of the game. Hillwood began the second half on a 12-0 run and went on to outscore Gallatin 24-3 in the third quarter. The only field goal by the Green Wave in the period came from Brummett.
“Just give Hillwood credit,” Luna said. “They made us uncomfortable all day, even in the first half when we cut it to two late. We just didn’t play very smart and execute well, so we’re just going to have to move on from this and go see if we can be better the next time out. We’ll try to regroup quickly, and hopefully, we’ll be better tomorrow.”
Alex Shaw poured in a game-high 18 points to lead the Hilltoppers, and teammates Quincy Jones and Montereon McKissack scored 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Gallatin fell to 4-9, while Hillwood improved to 5-5.
HILLWOOD (59) – Alex Shaw 18, Quincy Jones 14, Montereon McKissack 10, Raquan Cross 7, Daquan Summers 4, Rayshawn Washington 4, Jakob Bomar 2.
GALLATIN (39) – Mark Brummett 15, Anthony Woods 6, Zool Kueth 5, Zyun Mason 4, Collin Minor 3, Marlon Mitchell 3, Jordan Mason 2, Nigel Black 1.
Half: 25-23, Hillwood. Three-point goals: Hillwood 1 (Cross 1), Gallatin 3 (Z. Mason 1, Minor 1, Mitchell 1) Records: Hillwood 5-5, Gallatin 4-9.