Mitchell leads Bob Jones, seals Jets fate
Dalton Barkley goes up to block a shot by Trai James in playoff action
(RECORD PHOTO/LINDSAY VAUGHT)
MADISON- James Clemens had home court advantage but Bob Jones point guard Josh Mitchell felt right at home Friday night as he scored 23 points and led the Patriots to a 55-53 sub-regional playoff win to advance to the Northwest Regional at Wallace State. It will be Bob Jones’ first trip to Wallace State since 2011.
In only his second season as head coach, Graham Aderholt has guided Bob Jones through the sub-regional round to become one of only two 6A teams in North Alabama to advance to a berth in the regional.
“I’m very pleased with all the guys especially Josh Mitchell. He made a huge difference in this game. Not having him the last game (against James Clemens) was a big reason we lost. I think the best team won tonight. I’m proud of our seniors who have now won five out of six games against James Clemens,” Aderholt said.
Another reason Bob Jones prevailed was holding Jordan Harris to 11 points. Harris had scored a career high 38 against Bob Jones back on Jan. 31. In that game Harris hit 7 three-point shots but Friday night he only hit one.
“We had a good game plan in this game against him and our guys did a good job shutting him down,” Aderholt said.
Dalton Barkley fronted Harris all night trying to deny him the ball. Offensively, Barkley was an efficient 5 of 6 from the field and finished with 11 points.
Early on, James Clemens got points from an unlikely pair of starters. Trai James had a three-point play and Deondre Douglas had a steal and layup to put the Jets up 13-6.Harris’s three put James Clemens up 16-9 after one quarter. Bob Jones struggled to find the mark early. Tanner Finley missed his first four three-point shot attempts before hitting one midway through the second quarter. He finished two of seven from long range and was Bob Jones second leading scorer with 12 points.
Tanner Finley and Jordan Harris in action Friday night
(PHOTO CONTRIBUTED/FLOYD PARKS)
In the second quarter, James Clemens built the biggest lead of the game for either team at 24-14 after a steal and fast break basket by Douglas.
Josh Mitchell scored the last five points of the first half to bring Bob Jones back to within four at 32-28. Moving without the ball, Mitchell set himself and nailed a three-point shot to close the scoring. He finished with 11 points in the first half.
James Clemens leading scorer Tykeem Franklin hit his average of 18 points. His three put the Jets up 37-32 at the start of the third quarter but from there Bob Jones went on a 13-4 run including an 8-0 run where Mitchell hit two three’s and Finley hit one. James Clemens battled back on a three point play by Franklin but a putback by Finley gave Bob Jones a 47-44 lead after three.
Bob Jones built a 49-44 lead but had three straight turnovers. Two free throws by Franklin put James Clemens up 50-49 with 1:24 left, their last lead of the game.
A three-point play by Ralph Templeton put Bob Jones ahead to stay at 52-50. Mitchell added two free throws to go up 54-51. Bob Jones won despite getting out rebounded 30-22.
“We failed to make stops in the clutch,” said Tykeem Franklin who led James Clemens with 18 points. “We had a one point lead with two minutes to go, we just couldn’t finish. It’s tough but we got to move one. I’m proud of my whole team for what we accomplished this year.”
“It was tough for both of us to get looks,” Franklin said of the Bob Jones defense on him and Harris.
For Bob Jones, Ralph Templeton fouled out in the last minute with eight points and four rebounds.
“I’m really proud of Ralph,” Aderholt said. “He was in foul trouble the whole game but he had a big and-one basket and made the free throw at a critical time in the game.”
Aderholt said the key to the game was Bob Jones controlling the Jets two leading scorers, Harris and Franklin and forcing the other players to score which they did not do enough of in the second half.
Trai James had 17 points and Deondre Douglas had five to round out the scoring for James Clemens.
Against Franklin, “we threw different guys at him all night and they did a good job of making him earn every point he got,” Aderholt said. “Tykeem is a really good player. He can shoot the ball.”
“We just hung in there. The kids bought in to what we had been preaching all week. ‘Don’t get caught up in the momentum swings. Just stick to what got us here’.”
As expected it was a near capacity crowd. Bob Jones will play Minor in the Northwest Regional Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.
