SPRINGFIELD The Beech High School boys basketball team fell behind early on and couldn’t recover in a 64-46 loss at Springfield in a Region 5-AAA Tournament quarterfinal game played on Saturday evening.
The Yellow Jackets limited the Buccaneers to eight points in the third quarter, extending a nine-point lead at halftime to 15 points entering the final period.
Beech High sophomore point guard Ty Dean elevates for a layin after driving past Springfield defenders Troy Chatman (23) and Dalaino Walker during first-half action. Dean scored 10 points in Saturday evening’s 64-46 loss.
“Defensively, I thought we played well tonight,” Springfield head coach Darryl Travis said. “I would’ve liked to be a little better on the boards than we were tonight, but I don’t guess I have much room to complain when we hold a team that is that explosive to just 46 points.
“Offensively, I thought we handled their 1-3-1 (zone defensive) pressure pretty well tonight. We had a few hiccups when we weren’t facing the basket, but I was pleased with the way we handled their pressure.”
Dalaino Walker led all scorers with 21 points, making three 3-pointers, and teammates Keenan Pulley and Talarico Cogshell provided 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Buccaneers were led by senior forward Caleb Walton with 13 points, and classmate Noah Chatman scored 12 points. Beech sophomore guard A.J. Roberson provided 11 points, and classmate Ty Dean contributed 10 points.
Beech High senior forward Caleb Walton is pressured by Springfield’s Elijah Collins. Walton scored a team-high 13 points.
Springfield (18-12) jumped out to an early 10-4 advantage behind two 3-pointers by Walker, but Dean’s 3-pointer helped bring the Buccaneers back to within a point at 10-9.
Pulley’s late 3-pointer gave the Yellow Jackets a 13-9 lead entering the second period.
The Yellow Jackets – the District 10-AAA Tournament champion – opened the second stanza with an 8-2 run.
Walker and Pulley combined for 11 points in the period, helping the Jackets outscore Beech by a 15-10 margin over that eight-minute span to take a 28-19 lead into the halftime break.
“They really hit some key, pressure 3-pointers in the first half when we had hands in their faces,” Beech head coach Darrin Joines – whose squad captured a 48-38 victory over visiting Springfield on Dec. 15 – said. “I thought that was big and gave them the lead in the first half.
“We had a letdown there in the third quarter. I guess you just have to tip your hat to (the Yellow Jackets), because tonight, they were the better team.”
With Beech struggling offensively in the third quarter, the Yellow Jackets extended the advantage to 15 points (42-27) entering the final quarter.
Springfield again jumped out on Beech in the early minutes of the fourth period behind another 3-pointer by Walker.
The Buccaneers – the No. 4 seed from District 9-AAA – fouled for the final four minutes, a strategy that might have worked after the Jackets only connected on 9 of 20 free throws down the stretch.
Beech High sophomore guard Nelson Smith drives past two Springfield defenders along the baseline during second-half action.
However, Beech (16-16) was unable convert enough on the offensive end to threaten.
“I thought we had chances tonight to get out to a bigger lead, but we missed a lot of shots around the rim tonight,” Travis said. “A couple of 6-foot-4 guys tend to make you readjust your shots, and that’s what we were up against in the lane.
“I’m proud of our guys for playing the way they did tonight, but they know we still have some work left to do. We’re not happy yet, and I think we still have a few more wins left in us.”
Springfield advanced to face Mt. Juliet – a 74-66 winner over visiting Rossview in its 5-AAA quarterfinal contest on Saturday evening – in Tuesday evening’s semifinal round.
The Buccaneers lost their final three games and six of their last seven contests.
Beech loses three seniors – Chatman, Walton and Ben Buhrow.
BEECH (46) – Caleb Walton 13, Noah Chatman 12, A.J. Robertson 11, Ty Dean 10.
SPRINGFIELD (64) – Dalaino Walker 21, Talarico Cogshell 13, Keenan Pulley 12, Aaron Gardner 9, Cameron Trotter 5, Troy Chapman 2, Elijah Collins 2.
Half: 28-19, Springfield. Three-point goals: Beech 5 (Robertson 3, Dean 2), Springfield 5 (Walker 3, Pulley 2). Records: Beech 16-16, Springfield 18-12.