Tyner High School fans jumped out of their seats on two occasions in the final minute of the Tuesday’s 59-54 home win over East Hamilton when senior Nehemiah Bloodsaw produced highlight moments on the basketball court.
The electric playmaker had a strong finish in the low post late in the game as he drew a hard foul and still managed to bank his shot off the backboard while crashing to the floor while finishing his three-point play for a 55-51 lead. Moments later, Bloodsaw outraced a Hurricane defender off a steal for a powerful game-closing tomahawk slam dunk.
In a matchup of two highly-touted teams who combined for 43 wins last season, Bloodsaw stole the show for the Rams as he finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds.
“Over the years we have had several guys step up and lead this team as seniors, guys like Trent Gresham and Kobe Smith. Now, it’s my turn,” Bloodsaw said. “I have grown in my game and stepped up. I show that I care about my team and want to win. Once I got that and-1 finish I was thinking, this is our game. I have put in so much work to this. My mom always taught me patience and now it’s my time to let my game shine.”
East Hamilton (5-1) was strong early as Kaden Herman knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter, one of which resulted in a four-point play to build a 23-12 lead.