Boys - M7 District Tournament - 1st Round - Abingdon 60 John Battle 52 - FINAL
- Thread starter pizzzzza
- Start date
MOUNTAIN 7 BOYS: Abingdon upsets John Battle
Abingdon's Ean Bassham looks to score over the defense of Battle's Reed Samuel Tuesday night.
Both certainly shined Tuesday, as the Falcons finally got over the hump against John Battle and claimed a 60-52 victory in the first round of the Mountain 7 District boys tournament.
“We’re playing our best ball at the right time,” said Johnson, Abingdon’s first-year head coach and the son of Emory & Henry legend Bob Johnson.
A 1,000-point career scorer who’s had big games before, Bassham has never been money like he was on this night, pouring in 33 points to carry the fifth-seeded Falcons (10-13) to their first win in three tries against the fourth-seeded Trojans (16-7).
“I’ve had a few big games in my career, but none more important than this one,” Bassham said.
Meanwhile, Johnson ordered up a 1-3-1 zone defense that really bamboozled John Battle and kept the Trojans fighting uphill throughout the contest.
With the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Bassham manning the top of that zone and creating havoc with his athleticism and superior reach, Battle finished the game with 24 turnovers while shooting 40 percent (19 of 47) from the floor - including 3 of 19 from beyond the arc.
Veteran starter Thomas Francisco, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound fellow senior, filled in on the defensive point whenever Bassham needed a rest.
“We put that in place four or five games ago and we’ve really been working with it and tweaking it,” Johnson said. “This is my first year [at Abingdon] and I’m still kind of searching and trying to be a scientist out there. The kids have bought in and it’s been giving people some problems.
“Tonight those two up top [Bassham and Francisco] did a great job of reading eyes and reading passes and making John Battle uncomfortable. They are both fierce competitors who are like sharks if they smell blood. Battle has had a really good year, but I felt we made them do some things tonight they didn’t want to do.”
John Battle coach Jon Odum concurred.
“Especially in the first half, we were settling for 15- and 20-foot jumpers,” Odum said. “I told the kids at halftime we’re going to lose by 20 if we don’t start attacking the middle of that zone.
“We worked on our plan against the 1-3-1 all day in practice yesterday but we don’t run it and so we were more effective against our kids than Abingdon’s. And with an athlete like Bassham out at the top of that thing ... well ...I just think Abingdon wanted it more than we did.”
Despite trailing most of the game, Battle actually found itself up 52-51 after Cayden McConley banked home a short runner with 1:39 left in the game.
On the Falcons’ next possession, after McConley secured a rebound following a Bassham miss from in close, the Abingdon star quickly stripped the Battle guard and went straight up to score and give the visitors the lead for good.
Bassham, who was 12 of 20 from the floor and 9 of 15 from the foul line, was fouled on game-changer and completed a three-point play for a 54-52 Falcons lead with one minute remaining.
“I stripped it and went back up and got the ‘and-one’ ” Bassham said. “I feel like that was the turning point of the game because we just kicked it in and took off from there.”
Bassham and Francisco hit six straight free throws in the final minute while Battle committed its final two turnovers and missed its last seven shots.
Throughout the game, Bassham was too much offensively for the Trojans, running the Falcon attack from the point guard position and using his quick first step to take his man to the hole time and time again. His play pushed the Falcons to a 29-20 edge at halftime.
“It’s taken him a few games to figure out his niche at point guard but he’s beginning to do some great things for us out there,” Johnson said. “He’s big and strong and physical and you’ve got to take advantage of your strengths - that’s one thing my dad taught me.”
Abingdon, which committed just nine turnovers, received a 13-point game from Francisco.
Battle, meanwhile, got a 24-point night from McConley and a 10-point outing from Issac Deel.
The Falcons advance to play in the Mountain 7 semifinals against top seed Gate City on the Blue Devils home floor Thursday, before competing in the Region 3D tournament next week.
Battle, meanwhile, still advances to the Region 2D tournament next week.
- Johnny Wilson | Sports Correspondent
- 8 hrs ago
Abingdon's Ean Bassham looks to score over the defense of Battle's Reed Samuel Tuesday night.
- Andre Teague/Bristol Herald Courier
Both certainly shined Tuesday, as the Falcons finally got over the hump against John Battle and claimed a 60-52 victory in the first round of the Mountain 7 District boys tournament.
“We’re playing our best ball at the right time,” said Johnson, Abingdon’s first-year head coach and the son of Emory & Henry legend Bob Johnson.
A 1,000-point career scorer who’s had big games before, Bassham has never been money like he was on this night, pouring in 33 points to carry the fifth-seeded Falcons (10-13) to their first win in three tries against the fourth-seeded Trojans (16-7).
“I’ve had a few big games in my career, but none more important than this one,” Bassham said.
Meanwhile, Johnson ordered up a 1-3-1 zone defense that really bamboozled John Battle and kept the Trojans fighting uphill throughout the contest.
With the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Bassham manning the top of that zone and creating havoc with his athleticism and superior reach, Battle finished the game with 24 turnovers while shooting 40 percent (19 of 47) from the floor - including 3 of 19 from beyond the arc.
Veteran starter Thomas Francisco, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound fellow senior, filled in on the defensive point whenever Bassham needed a rest.
“We put that in place four or five games ago and we’ve really been working with it and tweaking it,” Johnson said. “This is my first year [at Abingdon] and I’m still kind of searching and trying to be a scientist out there. The kids have bought in and it’s been giving people some problems.
“Tonight those two up top [Bassham and Francisco] did a great job of reading eyes and reading passes and making John Battle uncomfortable. They are both fierce competitors who are like sharks if they smell blood. Battle has had a really good year, but I felt we made them do some things tonight they didn’t want to do.”
John Battle coach Jon Odum concurred.
“Especially in the first half, we were settling for 15- and 20-foot jumpers,” Odum said. “I told the kids at halftime we’re going to lose by 20 if we don’t start attacking the middle of that zone.
“We worked on our plan against the 1-3-1 all day in practice yesterday but we don’t run it and so we were more effective against our kids than Abingdon’s. And with an athlete like Bassham out at the top of that thing ... well ...I just think Abingdon wanted it more than we did.”
Despite trailing most of the game, Battle actually found itself up 52-51 after Cayden McConley banked home a short runner with 1:39 left in the game.
On the Falcons’ next possession, after McConley secured a rebound following a Bassham miss from in close, the Abingdon star quickly stripped the Battle guard and went straight up to score and give the visitors the lead for good.
Bassham, who was 12 of 20 from the floor and 9 of 15 from the foul line, was fouled on game-changer and completed a three-point play for a 54-52 Falcons lead with one minute remaining.
“I stripped it and went back up and got the ‘and-one’ ” Bassham said. “I feel like that was the turning point of the game because we just kicked it in and took off from there.”
Bassham and Francisco hit six straight free throws in the final minute while Battle committed its final two turnovers and missed its last seven shots.
Throughout the game, Bassham was too much offensively for the Trojans, running the Falcon attack from the point guard position and using his quick first step to take his man to the hole time and time again. His play pushed the Falcons to a 29-20 edge at halftime.
“It’s taken him a few games to figure out his niche at point guard but he’s beginning to do some great things for us out there,” Johnson said. “He’s big and strong and physical and you’ve got to take advantage of your strengths - that’s one thing my dad taught me.”
Abingdon, which committed just nine turnovers, received a 13-point game from Francisco.
Battle, meanwhile, got a 24-point night from McConley and a 10-point outing from Issac Deel.
The Falcons advance to play in the Mountain 7 semifinals against top seed Gate City on the Blue Devils home floor Thursday, before competing in the Region 3D tournament next week.
Battle, meanwhile, still advances to the Region 2D tournament next week.
Similar threads
