Bob Jones gets “biggest win of the season” against Hazel Green
Tanner Finley (15) and J.D. Sims (34) battle Austin Marham of Hazel Green for a loose ball Friday night
(RECORD PHOTO/LINDSAY VAUGHT)
MADISON- When J.D. Sims joined the Bob Jones basketball team after football season ended, Head Coach Graham Aderholt was not sure what to expect. Friday night, Sims stepped into the starting lineup and came up with clutch points and tough rebounds in the fourth quarter as Bob Jones got a come-from-behind 54-48 victory over Hazel Green.
The win is huge in the Class 6A, Area 15 race as Bob Jones now leads with a 3-1 area record with games remaining at Sparkman and home to Buckhorn on the next two Friday nights.
“No doubt, the biggest win for us this year,” said Aderholt whose team had lost earlier this season to Hazel Green 56-53. “If we win out our area games then we host and that’s awesome for our guys. I’m proud of our kids for battling the way they did.”
Bob Jones trailed by as many as nine points early in the second quarter as Hazel Green’s low post combination of Ethan Stairs and Lewis Sullivan dominated. Stairs scored 14 in the first half shooting 50%. Sullivan scored seven with four rebounds.
A Dalton Barkley three point basket with 1:00 left cut the lead to six and Bob Jones trailed 30-22 at halftime.
Sims started the third quarter strong with a three point play as he pulled an offensive rebound and scored. He had four offensive rebounds in the game and scored on each of them.
“J.D. was awesome, every time he plays we know he is going to bring his best effort,” Aderholt said of the junior who started at right tackle for the Bob Jones football team.
“He played lights out. I was very proud of him.”
At the defensive end, Bob Jones clamped down on Sullivan, the senior UAB-signee, and held him to three points in the fourth quarter. Sullivan still finished with 17 points and seven rebounds.
“We knew we had to focus on Lewis,” Aderholt said. The strategy of forcing Lewis to play away from the basket worked as he missed 4 of 5 shots from behind the arc.
Bob Jones cut the lead to one early in the fourth quarter on a basket by Sims who finished with 10 points. A Tanner Finley three tied the score at 45 and Barkley put Bob Jones ahead to stay with a basket at 4:20 in the fourth. A Josh Mitchell three extended the lead to 50-45 and Mitchell closed out the scoring with two free throws.
Tanner Finley played despite an illness that caused him to miss part of the school day. He still played 27 minutes and scored nine points and had two steals.
“He has been sick today but he stepped up for us, that kid has a lot of guts,” Aderholt said.
Josh Mitchell led Bob Jones with 15 points and Barkley had 14. Bob Jones had only 8 turnovers.
