Howard falls in state semifinal

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — For the second consecutive year, a disastrous third quarter for Howard School led to a lopsided loss to Memphis Mitchell in the Class AA boys’ state basketball tournament.

Trailing by seven points one minute into the second half, the Hustlin’ Tigers lost 87-61 in Friday’s semifinals after being outscored 33-11 the rest of the third quarter.

“We never had the energy to match them,” Howard coach Walter McGary said. “I have no answer for it, but we didn’t handle their pressure. And once they got going, we had guys who just couldn’t keep up.”

Mitchell (25-8) will play Knoxville Fulton in the championship game tonight at 6 EDT. Tenth-ranked Fulton (27-4) knocked off top-ranked Dyer County 86-79 in double overtime Friday. Mitchell was the only unranked team in the AA bracket but will play in the title game for a third straight season, having yet to claim a championship.

Mitchell’s Kenyan Torry didn’t start but scored 48 points, 22 in the third quarter. He came close to two state-tournament records. The 6-foot-2 senior guard was one point shy of the most scored in a single quarter and two short of most points in a single game.

“Every time I touched the ball, I was thinking score,” Torry said. “During a timeout, somebody told me I only needed two to get to the record. I asked my coach to put me back in, but he said I was done, so I didn’t argue.

“I heard the crowd booing because they wanted me to go back in, but there was only a minute left and I was pretty tired anyway.”

Howard (31-3) was attempting to return to the state-title game for the first time since 1980. Instead, the Hustlin’ Tigers’ TSSAA record was extended to 21 appearances in the tournament without a title.

Despite nine turnovers in the first quarter, Howard kept pace throughout the first half, trading the lead 15 times until the final two minutes of the second quarter. Mitchell ended the first half on a 12-5 run and never again trailed.

“I believe it was what we didn’t do more than what they did that lost us the game,” said Howard senior Darius Ricks, who had 11 points and four assists one day after having five stitches over his right eye following an on-court collision. “I have a lot of respect for Mitchell, but we didn’t play defense at all in the third.

“Nobody likes to lose, but it’s a great accomplishment to get this far.”

In a 15-second span of the third quarter, three Howard starters were called for their third fouls. With 4:40 left in the period, Dominique Taylor, the Tigers’ leading scorer and rebounder at the time, went to the bench with four fouls.

Howard trailed by 11 at that point, and Mitchell ended the quarter on a 24-4 run. Taylor failed to score or get another rebound the rest of the way.

“It was frustrating,” Taylor said. “I really didn’t want to watch. I noticed I felt tired in the first half, and it just got worse once they got on a roll.”

MITCHELL 87, HOWARD 61

Howard 9 20 17 15 — 61

Mitchell 14 23 38 12 — 87

Howard (61) — Reynolds, Brandon Allen 13, Darius Ricks 11, Dominique Taylor 12, Dominique Harper 10, Q. Jones 4, Young 7, Bryant, F. Jones, Deloney, Ross, Pettaway, Evans.

Mitchell (87) — Wade 3, Buggs 7, Boddie, Amoni Burditt 11, McCaster 6, McGhee, Holloway, Darrell Neal 10, Echols, Kenyan Torry 48, Jones, Withers, Littlejohn, Lloyd 2.

3-point goals: Howard 4 (Taylor 2, Young 2); Mitchell 7 (Burditt 3, Neal 2, Torry 2). Records: Mitchell 25-8; Howard 31-3.