Red Bank hustles to a 68-62 win

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Dobyns-Bennett had more size this season and more wins, and historically it had earned many more state-tournament berths. What the Indians didn’t have more of than Red Bank on Thursday was heart.

If ever a team scrapped its way to victory, it was the Lions, who defeated Dobyns-Bennett 68-62 in a quarterfinal of the Class AAA boys’ high school basketball state tournament at Middle Tennessee State’s Murphy Center.

Red Bank (27-7) improved its state-tournament record to 2-2 in its third appearance. The Lions play White Station (24-12) in a semifinal tonight at 8 EDT.

Dobyns-Bennett, making its 28th state-tournament appearance, featured players 6-foot-6, 6-5 and 6-2 across its starting front line and brought 6-9 and 6-6 players off the bench. The Lions’ Dominique McDuffie is as tall as the Kingsport team’s shortest frontcourt starter yet was the game’s leading scorer with 18 points and its leading rebounder with nine.

“That comes from hustle, heart and motivation,” McDuffie said. “If you’re going against a 6-10 guy and you’re 6-1, 6-2, if you play harder you’re going to get more boards than him.”

McDuffie was the only player on either side who played all 32 minutes. He also totaled six assists, four steals and two blocks. There is no category for hustle plays, but he led in that, too, and made only one turnover.

Red Bank’s other standout, Tim Benford, was saddled with foul trouble much of the game. He ended up playing 21 minutes, contributing nine points and leading the Lions with five steals.

“Dominique stepped up big, rebounding and scoring,” Benford said. “And we hit our 3s.”

At least Red Bank had a 5-2 edge in that area. Freshman Nick Ross had one among his 13 points off the bench that tied the game at 55 starting the fourth quarter.

Red Bank coach John Cherne said his team’s defensive game plan in the halfcourt was to play zone and pack it in on the taller Indians.

“We knew they wanted to pound it inside,” Cherne said. “I didn’t know they would be able to pound it as hard as they did. They pounded it with a sledgehammer. I thought that was going to wear on us.”

Throw out McDuffie’s totals and Dobyns-Bennett’s rebounding edge was 32-12.

The Lions’ counter was hounding the Indians from the time they inbounded until they tried to make an entry pass into the post — if they got that far up the floor with the ball. Nineteen of Dobyns-Bennett’s 25 turnovers were Red Bank steals.

“The key was our kids’ tenacity,” Cherne said. “I knew at some point their competitiveness would kick in. They didn’t want it to end.”

The Lions got out to a 9-4 start, but once the Indians took the lead at 21-18 on Marshall Hardy’s three-point play with 6:41 left in the second quarter, they maintained it all the way through the third — except for a tie at 31.

After the 3-pointer by Ross, Kelvin Clay’s layup on a fastbreak put Red Bank ahead for good. Bradley Britt’s free throws that made it a five-point advantage with 9.1 seconds left appeared to seal it; then fittingly a steal in the backcourt led to Clay scoring the final point from the line with 4.2 seconds to play.

“Outhustling the other team,” McDuffie said. “That’s what got us here, and that’s what’s keeping us here.”

RED BANK 68, DOBYNS-BENNETT 62

Dobyns-Bennett 18 17 20 7 — 62

Red Bank 16 17 19 16 — 68

Dobyns-Bennett (62) — Halvorsen 2, Sylvester 5, Jamel Williams 14, Hardy 9, Riggs 9, McGue 2, King 2, McConnell 3, Jordan Edwards 10, Flack 6.

Red Bank (68) — Dominique McDuffie 18, Clay 9, Benford 9, Britt 7, Mitchell 8, Nick Ross 13, Joshen, Maddox 4, Hicks, Wise.

3-point goals: Dobyns-Bennett 2 (McConnell, Williams); Red Bank 5 (Benford, Britt, McDuffie, Clay, Ross). Other highlights: McDuffie 9 r, 6 a, 4 s, 2 b; Benford 5 s; Britt 4 s (RB). Records: Red Bank 27-7; Dobyns-Bennett 30-4.