Thursday, March 11, 2010

Cayuga vs. Spurger, Class A, Division I staet semifinals

Fourth Quarter
Freshman Deon Shoffer gets a basket in the state tournament. Cayuga going to win this one, leading 80-44 right now. Going to call it a morning for the blog. Look for stories on the Herald-Press web site later today.

Fourth Quarter
2:59 - Zac Bowman gets his first two points of the game on a putback. Cayuga 74-39.

Fourth Quarter
3:39 - Dalevin Campbell with another three pointer and Cayuga leads 72-39. Cayuga has made 7-of-12 three pointers. They have shot astonishing 62 shots in the game.

Fourth Quarter
5:07 - D'onte Jackson hits a 15-footer for his first two points of the game and Cayuga leads 69-39.

Fourth Quarter
6:23 - Here comes the defense again as Billy Duncan gets a steal and feeds to Campbell, who gets the layup and the foul. Makes the FT and Cayuga leads 66-35.

Fourth Quarter
7:09 - Traylon Shead with a putback and Cayuga leads 61-35. Dalevin Campbell and D'onte Jackson check back in for Cayuga.

End Third Quarter
Cayuga goes into the fourth quarter leading 59-35. Unless there is a big letdown from the Wildcats, they will be heading to the state championship game. This game has turned into a defensive showcase by the Wildcats, who have 16 steals, have forced 25 turnovers, 24 points off of turnovers and 29 fast break points. Cayuga set the tempo early on and has not let down.

Third Quarter
13 sec - Cayuga finishes off an 11-0 run on a Jenkins basket. Cayuga leads 59-35.

Third Quarter
59 - Another steal, this time a combo by Kennedy and Billy Duncan leads to Duncan layup. Cayuga leads 57-32.

Third Quarter
1:56 - Kennedy putting on a defensive show, getting his fourth straight steal. He has five points off the steals and Cayuga leads 55-32.

Third Quarter
2:37 - Cayuga has its biggest lead as Malcome Kennedy with steal and layup and Wildcats leads 52-32.

Third Quarter
Spurger just picks up its sixth team foul and Cayuga will be in bonus from here on out.

Third Quarter
With the way Cayuga hitting the three pointer, waiting for freshman Preston Anderson to get involved. He has taken only one three today, which was a long one that missed.

Third Quarter
3:48 - Spurger being very aggressive going after the ball. It has resulted in a few turnovers, but also four team fouls just halfway through the third quarter. Anytime Cayuga gets defensive rebound, couple of Spurger players trying to slap ball away. Pirates also trying to bring late pressure on the inbound pass, which has caught Cayuga off guard a couple of times. Seems like the only thing Spurger can do right now to try and stay in this thing.

Third Quarter
4:02 - HUGE block by Shak Jenkins. What looked to be break away turned into Shak coming back down court and blocking the shot from behind

Third Quarter
5:00 - Spurger putting some pressure on Cayuga off inbound pass and it has resulted in a couple of steals, but each time Cayuga gets ball back.

Third Quarter
Another three points by Cayuga, this time on a three-point play by C.J. Wagner and Cayuga leads 48-29.

3rd Quarter
Three pointer by Duncan and Cayuga leads 45-27. His fourth of the game. He is doing great job looking for his shot today.

3rd Quarter
7:19 - Shak Jenkins starts quarter with basket for 40-23 lead and C.J. Wagner takes a charge. Cayuga rotating well on defense

Halftime
Cayuga leads 38-23 going into halftime. Cayuga has scored 19 points in each half and built as big as a 17-point lead in the second quarter. Cayuga hit from outside to help build this leas as the Wildcats have made five three pointers, led by Billy Duncan's three from behind the arc. Duncan has a team-high 11 points. Dalevin Campbell has given the Wildcats a big spark off the bench with nine points in nine minutes of play. For Spurger, it has been all about Daniel Blankenship and George Whittaker, who had combined for 20 of team's 23 points.
The pace has been in favor of Cayuga, who has 13 points off turnovers and 18 fast break points. Spurger just cannot keep up with the pace Cayuga has set. If that continues in the second half, the Pirates won't get back into the game.

2nd Quarter
1:09 - Steal and layup by Shak Jenkins and then Campbell jumper and Cayuga leads 38-21

2nd Quarter
1:54 - Cayuga starting to get a little careless with basketball as lead cut to 34-21. But Shak Jenkins just gets a charge called on Spurger

2nd Quarter
2:59 - Cayuga calls a full timeout to get its team under control a little bit after the Wildcats got two straight offensive rebounds but could not hit from up close. Spurger now shooting only 33 percent for the game as Cayuga on a 6-0 run.

2nd Quarter
3:23 - Chris Turner gets steal but then goes hard to the court and looks to be a little shaken up. He is heading back to the locker room with Cayuga AD Tommy Allison

2nd Quarter
4:21 - Chris Turner in transition for layup and now as steal by Kennedy. Cayuga leads 32-17 and starting to open this one up.

2nd Quarter
5:08 - Steal by Chris Turner, who picks off pass and takes it other way for break away layup and Cayuga leads 28-17. Spurger calls 30 second TO. That is Cayuga's fifth steal and Spruger's eighth turnover

2nd Quarter
5:45 - Pull up jumper by CJ Wagner and Cayuga leads 26-15. Right now, the pace in Cayuga's favor as Preston Anderson, Chris Turner and Dalevin Campbell waiting to check in.

2nd Quarter
6:47 - Billy Duncan with long three pointer and Cayuga leads 24-13. Duncan's third three pointer of the game and Cayuga's fifth.

2nd Quarter
Cayuga starts the second by getting turnover on trap and leads to Malcome Kennedy layup between two Spurger players to lead 21-13.

End of First Quarter
Preston Anderson misses a long three pointer with two seconds left to end the quarter. Cayuga leads 19-13 after the first quarter. Cayuga has the lead despite shooting under 36 percent for the game, but it has been the shots from the outside that have sparked the Wildcats. Cayuga makes four three pointers and gets at three-point play in the first quarter. Coach Jenkins came into the game feeling like Cayuga would have to hit from outside for the Wildcats to win.

First Quarter
21 sec - Two straight TOs by Spurger and Cayuga has last possession.

First Quarter
1:02 - Caleb Summerville down low and he gets fouled while making the shot. Summerville makes FT and Cayuga leads 19-13. Great to see Caleb on the floor here is Austin.

First Quarter
Caleb Summerville, Chris Turner and Preston Anderson in the game for Cayuga. Only starter on the floor is Wagner.

First Quarter
1:54- Campbell three pointer and Cayuga leads 16-10. Raining downs three for the Wildcats in the first quarter.

First Quarter
2:47 - Malcome Kennedy three pointer and Cayuga leads by three. Three straight threes by Cayuga.

First Quarter
Another three by Duncan ties the game at 10-10. Spruger giving the outside shot and Duncan making them pay. Dalevin Campbell checks in for CJ Wagner.

First Quarter
3:42 - Billy Duncan hits three pointer which cuts lead to one point. Need to be able to make outside shots today.

First Quarter
Spurger's Daniel Blankenship hits a three pointer and Pirates take a 8-4 lead and prompts a Cayuga 30-second timeout. The Wildcats have had some looks but just cannot find bottom of basket.

First Quarter
4:20 - Spurger takes 5-4 lead. On defense, Pirates putting everyone in the lane and Cayuga having trouble getting shots,


Steal by Shead goes to a layup by Billy Duncan for 4-0 lead and Spurger calls a 30 second timeout. How often has it been that we see Cayuga's opponent call a quick timeout after the Wildcat early pressure leads to a steal. This time, Shead and Malcome Kennedy trapped the ball handler that led to steal and basket.

First Quarter
Another foul against Traylon Shead, this time on Spurger's other big man Christian Norsworthy, who just checked in and now will be going back to the bench. Shead hits both FT and Cayuga leads 2-0.

First Quarter
A quick foul on Spurger's big man George Whittaker sends Traylon Shead to the line on Cayuga's first possession. Shead misses both but hustles for the rebound. Ball still goes over for Spurger, who subs for Whittaker

Game time
Teams have been introduced and it is finally game time. Getting the chills, but that is because it is cold here on press row.


Pregame
Just under 10 minutes before Cayuga takes on Spurger in the second of the Class A, Division I state semifinals. This is new ground for the most part for both teams. For Cayuga, it is the school's fifth time at the state tournament, but the last time was in 1958. For Spurger, this is the first time the Pirates have been in Austin for the state tournament.
Cayuga comes into the game ranked No. 1 in the TABC polls with a record of 20-2. The Wildcats have won 20 straight games after losing their first two of the season in the Whataburger Tournament. Spurger is 25th in the TABC polls with a 27-5 record.
This looks to be a matchup of two teams at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Cayuga will run 10-12 deep trying to run and gun whenever possible. Spruger has only nine players on the roster and the Pirates are going to try and slow down the pace and try to beat Cayuga from behind the three-point line.
If this gets into an up tempo contest, Cayuga will be the favorite but as Coach Jenkins told me this week, he is not worried if Spruger does control the tempo. The Cayuga coach believes his team can play at a slower pace, evident by what happened against Marti's Mill in the regional finals.

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