MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A game that began before noon ended with both offenses still snoozing. But despite the struggle to score, Arts & Sciences managed to hold off Harriman 49-44 in the quarterfinals of the Class A state basketball tournament.
CSAS made just 38 percent of its field goals but it was Harriman’s struggles from the free throw line that ultimately allowed the Patriots to advance. CSAS will now play top-ranked Clarksville Academy in Friday’s semifinals at 11 a.m.
“This was a good lesson to learn without having to get sent back home with a loss,” Patriots coach Mark Dragoo said. “We never could seem to get the separation we needed in the second half. I think there was a lack of effort on defense, and that opened the door for them to get back in it.”
The Patriots made just 25 percent of their first-quarter shot attempts and trailed for much of the first 12 minutes. However they closed the half with a furious finish, outscoring the Blue Devils 14-0 over the final four minutes for a 13-point halftime lead.
The Blue Devils outscored the Patriots 16-2 in the opening minutes of the third quarter to retake the lead, but CSAS answered with an 8-2 run. Junior guard Alex Stallion scored six during that stretch and finished with a game-high 23 points.
ARTS & SCIENCES 49, HARRIMAN 44Harriman 11 6 17 10 — 44Arts & Sciences 9 21 5 14 — 49Harriman (44) — Inman 7, Gallaher 9, Davis 3, Howard 5, Steinmetz 6, Sawyer 4, Dishman, Shaquille Love 10, Davis, Mayton.Arts & Sciences (49) — Alex Stallion 23, Dodds, Shariff Cobb 10, A. Ball 4, Lenoir 8, Woodruff, M. Ball, Crenshaw, Bowens, Atkins, Austin 4.3-point goals: Harriman 2 (Inman, Gallaher); CSAS 2 (Stallion 2). Records: CSAS 28-7; Harriman 21-11.
“When we were way up at halftime I think most of us thought it was over,” Stallion said. “Before we came to the game coach told us to have our bags packed and ready to go because if we got beat we would be back home by lunch. I wanted to stay aggressive late in the game and just make sure we didn’t lose this game.”
Stallion was the Patriots’ only consistent scoring threat, but he fouled out with 1:42 remaining. At that point CSAS held a five-point advantage and Stallion had scored 11 of his team’s 15 second-half points.
But Harriman never got closer than five, missing six of its last eight free throws in the final three minutes. The Blue Devils made just 8 of 20 free throw attempts for the game.
“To lose a game because of free throws is embarrassing,” Harriman coach Jeff King said. “That’s pitiful. Whether you’re shooting them in your own gym or in your backyard, they’re the same. It’s more mental than anything and I think some of our guys got rattled a little bit.”
Shaquille Love was the only Blue Devils player to finish in double-figure scoring with 10 points.