CHATSWORTH, Ga. – There was more than a state playoff basketball game on the line Saturday night at Kenneth Ross Gymnasium for the Murray County Indians.
Despite their 24-2 record coming in and their No. 3 Class AAA state ranking, few prognosticators have figured the Indians in any talk of title contenders. But led by senior Taylor Patterson’s 32 points, Murray defeated Booker T. Washington of Atlanta 89-77 and earned a little respect.
“They were a real quality opponent, and tonight we proved we could handle the big boys,” said the 6-foot-5 Patterson, who dominated the inside with 17 rebounds. “We’re a pretty confident bunch anyway, but this win does a lot for us. It proves to everyone we can play with these guys.”
Murray will host Troup County in the second round Wednesday.
The Bulldogs (17-10) featured a frontline of 6-7 Walter Foster and 6-6 Joshua Jackson, but neither could handle Patterson, who scored 12 first-period points as Murray built a 20-15 lead. Back-to-back Patterson baskets, including Murray’s only 3-pointer of the game, pushed the lead to 31-20 midway through the second period, but Washington started finding its range just in time.