Clarksville, TN – West Creek High School’s Mo Pressley scored 13 of his game-high 19 points in the third quarter, February 18th at Rossview High School, to lead the Coyotes past the Springfield Yellowjackets 54-42 to take the consolation game of the District 10-AAA tournament.
Both teams will advance to the Region 5-AAA tournament, February 22nd, with Springfield traveling to Mt. Juliet High School and West Creek heading to Hendersonville play Beech High School.
The Coyotes (17-17) were only up one point, 20-19, early in the third quarter, but Pressley scored seven straight points for West Creek to push its lead out to six points, 27-21, with 5:38 left in the period.But it was an 8-0 run – including six from Pressley — in the last four minutes of the third quarter that put the game out of reach, as the Coyotes led by 15 points, 38-23, before heading into the final quarter up 38-25.
The final quarter would see the West Creek lead hover between 11- and 15-points for the first five and a half minutes, before Springfield put together an 8-0 run to get back to within 10 points, 48-38, with 1:19 left in the contest.
But that was as close as the Yellowjackets would get, with West Creek hitting six of seven free throws in the final 1:06 to ice the game away, 54-42.
In the first half both teams came out a little tight, with it taking almost a minute and a half before either team got on the scoreboard, with West Creek’s Mo Pressley breaking the scoreless deadlock with a bucket at the 6:36 mark.
Springfield would take its first lead on a three-point play by Jaylyn Hudson 26 seconds later, with the Coyotes Michael Hardison tying the game 3-3 on one of two free throws, with 5:58 left.
That would be the first of three ties in the first quarter, before West Creek would take a 9-7 lead after the first eight minutes of play on a bucket by Jachin Almon.
The second quarter would see Springfield score five of the first seven points to take its final lead of the first half, 12-11, with 6:16 left on a free throw by Michael McCarroll.
But the Coyotes would put together its best run of basketball over the next two and a half minutes, going on an 8-0 run – including back-to-back baskets by Aaron Hardison – to go up 19-12, before heading into the locker room at intermission up 20-16.
Photo Gallery
Box Score
West Creek 54, Springfield 42
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final | |
Springfield Yellowjackets | 7 | 9 | 9 | 17 | 42 |
West Creek Coyotes | 9 | 11 | 18 | 16 | 54 |
Springfield
Michael McCarroll 8, Ja’lyn Mayo 11, Talarico Cogsdale 2, DreAn Witherspoon 2, Jaylyn Hudson 17. Team totals 16 10-15 42.
West Creek
Michael Hardison 4, Aaron Hardison 4, Stephon Jackson 7, Davan Jones 8, James Johnson 2, Kistler Fletcher 4, Jachin Almon 6, Mo Pressley 19. Team totals 22 8-11 54.
3-point field goals: Springfield 0, West Creek 2 (M. Hardison 1, Pressley 1).
Records: Springfield 16-13, West Creek 17-17.