January 30, 2011 (ALBANY HERALD) - Can you say redemption?
That’s one way to describe Saturday’s Albany Tech men’s basketball game against Georgia Perimeter as it blew an 18-point lead in the first half, only to be bailed out by former Westover star Jerry Lewis, who came back from suspension Saturday to score eight straight points to turn a 56-56 tie game with 8:21 remaining into a crucial Region XVII win, 77-68.
“When it was his time, we got him the ball and he really showed up and hit some big shots,” ATC coach Sylvester Patterson said of Lewis.
Early on, however, Lewis struggled to find his shots in an offense that’s managed the last few games without its leading scorer.
“One of the things that was big was that he was taking bad shots and getting upset because he wasn’t getting the ball,” Patterson said of how Lewis started the game. “I told him he would have to play within the offense and he did that.”
Patterson then paused before adding: “That’s what he does for us — make big shots.”
Lewis did not lead ATC in scoring — that honor went to Justin Wilcox with 18 points — but he did finish with 14 points to help the Titans improve to 15-4 overall and 4-3 in the Region XVII.
As far as how ATC lost the lead? Well, that’s something the coach says the Titans need to work on as the regular season is about to get into the heart of the schedule. The Titans still have 10 games left.
“We tend to take plays off when we go up,” Patterson said. “We are very talented but sometimes we are not focused. We will get up and then not do the small things, like box out and make good passes, (which) you saw that (Saturday).”
ATC will look to keep the wins coming when it hosts Chattahoochee Technical College on Thursday.
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GEORGIA PERIMETER 87, ALBANY TECH 56:
Watching the first half of Saturday’s Lady Titans game against Region XVII No. 1 Georgia Perimeter, one would think ATC was up for the challenge.
But if you stayed until the end, you would’ve realized why GPC is undefeated in conference play as it turned a game that was tied at halftime, 41-41, into a blowout win.
“It was like night and day,” said Albany Tech coach Kenneth Williams. “They came out (in the second half) with much more energy. They wanted it more.”
All the Lady Titans fans could do in the second half was watch helplessly as GPC pressured ATC into mistake after mistake. At the end of the game, ATC recorded a staggering 32 turnovers, while GPC only had 10.
“To be honest, we just cracked under the pressure,” said Williams. “It was like we just forgot how to play basketball.”
Williams might have a point.
In the first half, ATC shot a better percentage from the field and rebounded GPC, but in the second half the Lady Titans were just 3 of 21 from the field while also committing 20 turnovers.
Deja Cooper hit four 3-pointers for ATC and finished with a team-high 13 points, while GPC’s Ryvan Buchanan led all scorers with 20 points.
With the win, GPC improved to 16-5 and remains undefeated in the Region VXII (6-0), while ATC fall to 3-4 in the Region XVII and are 13-8 overall.
The Lady Titans will look to bounce back when they host Chattahoochee Tech.
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GSW MEN REBOUND FROM LOSS TO AUGUSTA STATE, HAMMER LANDER:
Colin Slotter scored 11 points in a row early in the second half to give No. 18 Georgia Southwestern the lead for good as the Hurricanes spoiled Lander’s homecoming, 71-53, on Saturday afternoon and rebounded from a loss Thursday to No. 3 Augusta State that snapped GSW’s seven-game win streak.
GSW improved to 14-4 overall and 7-2 in the league, maintaining a one-game lead atop the PBC West Division.
Phillip Brown led the Hurricanes with 18 points and 14 rebounds for his fourth consecutive double-double. Slotter also scored 18 points and had a game-high seven assists. Talmadge Bell added 11 points and five assists.
GSW trailed, 32-30, early in the second half when Slotter scored the game’s next 11 points. He hit a go-ahead 3-pointer, a jumper just inside the arc, and two more treys to give the Hurricanes, who trailed most of the first half, a 41-32 lead with 15:20 left in the game.
GSW wraps up its four-game road trip Wednesday with a 7:30 p.m. contest against Clayton State.
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LANDER 70, GSW WOMEN 58:
The Lady Hurricanes, led by Terra Branch (15 points off the bench) couldn’t overcome the No. 1 team in the nation Saturday and fell to 9-9 overall and 3-6 in PBC play.
Nadirah Gardner added 13 points and four assists. Gardner and Cierra Duhart led the Lady Hurricanes with six rebounds apiece.
GSW wraps up its four-game road trip on Wednesday by facing the No. 2 team in the national polls, Clayton State, at 5:30 p.m.
To view the original Albany Herald article please click here.