Motlow Bucks State Champs; Play Regional Today
Title
Motlow Bucks State Champs; Play Regional Today
Subject
Motlow Sports
Description
Newspaper article celebrating Motlow's state championship win against Columbia State.
Creator
Bob Hammers
Date
February 28, 1973
Rights
No restrictions. Open for research.
Format
.jpeg
Language
English
Type
Newspaper Clipping
Transcription
By Bob Hammers
Motlow’s Bucks, champions of the Tennessee Junior College Athletic Association by virtue of their 89-87 triple overtime win over Columbia Thursday, play at 9 PM today in the Region 7 junior college cage tournament in Paducah, Ky.
The Bucks won the state title on Lou Allen’s 10-foot jump shot that came, with just three seconds showing on the scoreboard clock. The winning shot ended an uphill struggle for Motlow which had fallen behind by nine points in the first half
The win gave Motlow a first-round bye m the Region 7 meet which started yesterday afternoon. The bucks will be paired against the winner of a game between Somerset, Ky., and Copiah- Lincoln, Miss.
The first-round pairings had Northwest Mississippi meeting Martin, Tenn.; Somerset against Copiah-Lincoln; Elizabethtown, Ky., and Northeast Mississippi against Columbia, Tenn.
Leez, Ky., plays Northwest Miss., Martin winner at 7 PM, while Utica, Miss. meets the Elizabethtown-Hiwassee winner at 7 PM tomorrow. The second game at 9 PM has the Northeast Miss. Columbia winner at playing Paducah KY.
A Motlow victory tonight would put the Bucks in the 7 PM upper-bracket semifinals Friday. The lower bracket semifinals are set for 9 PM. The finals are at 8 PM Saturday. The winner advances to the national tournament.
The 13th time was the charm for the Bucks against the Chargers, because that’s the numbers of times the lead changed hands during the physically tough contest. After Eddie Bramlett hit two shots from the floor, Columbia reeled off three straight baskets to take the lead.
After the score was knotted at 9-9 the Chargers built up a 20-11 margin only to see Motlow fight back to tie again at 26-26. It was a matter of swapping baskets up to the end of the first half, which ended 39-39.
Score tied repeatedly
The second half was tighter. The score was knotted eight times with the biggest lead being the 51-47 margin the Chargers held five minutes into the second half.
Captain Jack Battle hit the basket that sent the game into its first overtime when he came down with a rebound and stuffed the ball back into the hoop. It was Battle who also sank a pair of free throws in the second overtime that tied the game at 81-81 to extend the contest five more minutes.
Columbia blew a perfect opportunity to win the game at the end of the first overtime when Lon Smith was fouled while going up to shoot. The huge Charger Center, however, was far off the mark on both foul shots. Either one would have won the game since no time remained on the clock.
Both teams were content to play ball possession in the second overtime. As a result both scored just four points apiece, but Columbia felt the sting of the heavy physical contact as the last of its four players went to the bench with five fouls.
The last foul was possibly the most costly of the game since it ended the action for White, who scored 35 points. Allen canned the free throws to tie the game at 85-85 to bring on the third overtime.
Motlow got the tip to start the final overtime and Greg Bell, who poured in 23 points in a brilliant performance, hit a 15-foot jump shot to put the Bucks in front again.
Errors take toll
Moments later Richard Burnett tied the game with a shot from the baseline. Floor errors then took their toll as both teams turned the ball over while trying to stall for the final shot. In fact, both turned the ball over in the last 20 seconds.
The final one by Columbia save Motlow the ball back with 5 seconds showing on the clock. Larry Mackin almost got tied up while trying to find someone free under the basket, but the Buck quarterback spotted Allen free toward the right side of the goal. Allen got the ball with his back to the basket, turned and jumped with his shot just clearing the hand of the onrushing William Dodd.The ball only hit the bottom of the cords as it went through the hoop.
The Bucks actually won the game at the foul line where they hit 19 of 26 shots. Columbia made 11 of 15, and outhit Motlow from the field 38-35.
The Chargers were assessed with 26 fouls to 14 for the Bucks. White, Smith, and Gerald Randolph, all starters for Columbia, fouled out as did Kenny Johnson. The Chargers were never in the one and one situation in the second half that was stretched out to 35 minutes.
The Bucks hit 35 of 81 shots from the field for 43 percent, while Columbia hit 38 of 89 for 42 percent.
Battle’s 28 points, of which 20 came in the second half, was tops for Motlow, while White hit 15 of 27 shots from the field and five of six from the line for his 35 points.
Scoring;
Motlow 39 34 8 4 4-89
Columbia 39 34 4 4 2-87
Motlow - Battle 28, Bell 23, Alleo 16, Bramlett 11, Hill 9, Mackin 2.
Columbia- White 35, Burnett 16, Dodd 16, Smith 10, Fowlkes 8, Johnson 2
Motlow’s Bucks, champions of the Tennessee Junior College Athletic Association by virtue of their 89-87 triple overtime win over Columbia Thursday, play at 9 PM today in the Region 7 junior college cage tournament in Paducah, Ky.
The Bucks won the state title on Lou Allen’s 10-foot jump shot that came, with just three seconds showing on the scoreboard clock. The winning shot ended an uphill struggle for Motlow which had fallen behind by nine points in the first half
The win gave Motlow a first-round bye m the Region 7 meet which started yesterday afternoon. The bucks will be paired against the winner of a game between Somerset, Ky., and Copiah- Lincoln, Miss.
The first-round pairings had Northwest Mississippi meeting Martin, Tenn.; Somerset against Copiah-Lincoln; Elizabethtown, Ky., and Northeast Mississippi against Columbia, Tenn.
Leez, Ky., plays Northwest Miss., Martin winner at 7 PM, while Utica, Miss. meets the Elizabethtown-Hiwassee winner at 7 PM tomorrow. The second game at 9 PM has the Northeast Miss. Columbia winner at playing Paducah KY.
A Motlow victory tonight would put the Bucks in the 7 PM upper-bracket semifinals Friday. The lower bracket semifinals are set for 9 PM. The finals are at 8 PM Saturday. The winner advances to the national tournament.
The 13th time was the charm for the Bucks against the Chargers, because that’s the numbers of times the lead changed hands during the physically tough contest. After Eddie Bramlett hit two shots from the floor, Columbia reeled off three straight baskets to take the lead.
After the score was knotted at 9-9 the Chargers built up a 20-11 margin only to see Motlow fight back to tie again at 26-26. It was a matter of swapping baskets up to the end of the first half, which ended 39-39.
Score tied repeatedly
The second half was tighter. The score was knotted eight times with the biggest lead being the 51-47 margin the Chargers held five minutes into the second half.
Captain Jack Battle hit the basket that sent the game into its first overtime when he came down with a rebound and stuffed the ball back into the hoop. It was Battle who also sank a pair of free throws in the second overtime that tied the game at 81-81 to extend the contest five more minutes.
Columbia blew a perfect opportunity to win the game at the end of the first overtime when Lon Smith was fouled while going up to shoot. The huge Charger Center, however, was far off the mark on both foul shots. Either one would have won the game since no time remained on the clock.
Both teams were content to play ball possession in the second overtime. As a result both scored just four points apiece, but Columbia felt the sting of the heavy physical contact as the last of its four players went to the bench with five fouls.
The last foul was possibly the most costly of the game since it ended the action for White, who scored 35 points. Allen canned the free throws to tie the game at 85-85 to bring on the third overtime.
Motlow got the tip to start the final overtime and Greg Bell, who poured in 23 points in a brilliant performance, hit a 15-foot jump shot to put the Bucks in front again.
Errors take toll
Moments later Richard Burnett tied the game with a shot from the baseline. Floor errors then took their toll as both teams turned the ball over while trying to stall for the final shot. In fact, both turned the ball over in the last 20 seconds.
The final one by Columbia save Motlow the ball back with 5 seconds showing on the clock. Larry Mackin almost got tied up while trying to find someone free under the basket, but the Buck quarterback spotted Allen free toward the right side of the goal. Allen got the ball with his back to the basket, turned and jumped with his shot just clearing the hand of the onrushing William Dodd.The ball only hit the bottom of the cords as it went through the hoop.
The Bucks actually won the game at the foul line where they hit 19 of 26 shots. Columbia made 11 of 15, and outhit Motlow from the field 38-35.
The Chargers were assessed with 26 fouls to 14 for the Bucks. White, Smith, and Gerald Randolph, all starters for Columbia, fouled out as did Kenny Johnson. The Chargers were never in the one and one situation in the second half that was stretched out to 35 minutes.
The Bucks hit 35 of 81 shots from the field for 43 percent, while Columbia hit 38 of 89 for 42 percent.
Battle’s 28 points, of which 20 came in the second half, was tops for Motlow, while White hit 15 of 27 shots from the field and five of six from the line for his 35 points.
Scoring;
Motlow 39 34 8 4 4-89
Columbia 39 34 4 4 2-87
Motlow - Battle 28, Bell 23, Alleo 16, Bramlett 11, Hill 9, Mackin 2.
Columbia- White 35, Burnett 16, Dodd 16, Smith 10, Fowlkes 8, Johnson 2
Collection
Citation
Bob Hammers, “Motlow Bucks State Champs; Play Regional Today,” Motlow State Community College Archives, accessed April 29, 2024, https://msccarchives.omeka.net/items/show/71.
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