Today was all about basketball for the King family. This morning, my son, Thomas, had an Upward basketball game; he played 24 minutes, pulled down several rebounds, carded an assist or two, and added a steal-and-score in a 24-12 victory. This afternoon, Thomas was one of the Little Dribblers who appeared at halftime of the Starr’s Mill game against Habersham. On the way home from the high school girls’ basketball game, Thomas and I tuned in to the Georgia Bulldogs’ showdown on the hardwood with the Mississippi St. Bulldogs, picking up the game at halftime.
We got home in time to catch the last of the game on television, so, even though I didn’t see the whole thing, I saw enough to be able to say dang! The Fox Hounds built up an early lead and never let up, extending their double-digit advantage at the start of the second half and maintaining that enlarged edge throughout the remainder of the game. The Athenians’ defense of their home court was a total team effort, as Travis Leslie, Gerald Robinson, and Trey Thompkins all had at least five rebounds and at least 15 points.
Georgia shot almost 50 per cent from the field (32 of 65), hit 11 of 21 free throws despite clunking a few late shots from the charity stripe after the starters had been pulled, and drained a staggering 11 of 19 three-pointers. The Bulldogs dominated the glass, snatching 48 rebounds to Mississippi State’s 23 and pulling down 31 defensive boards to the visitors’ two offensive rebounds. The Red and Black led in points off of turnovers (16-14, despite the fact that the Classic City Canines turned the ball over more often), points in the paint (36-26), and bench points (27-3).
The Eastern Division Bulldogs’ 86-64 triumph over a quality club was just what the doctor ordered. Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a basketball team.
Go ‘Dawgs!