Coming into the game against the Dr. Phillips Panthers (11-7), the Braves (14-4) were short a key man in the middle, senior Jeremy Bouton. His presence was greatly missed as the Panthers dominated the glass both on offense and defense, ultimately contributing to the Panther blow-out.
From the opening tip, Dr. Phillips was moving the ball well and finding wide open men on the 3-point line. However, luckily for Boone, the Panthers rarely found the bottom of the net, keeping things close. On the other end of the floor, the Braves were suffocated by the Dr. Phillips’s tough backcourt defense, kept alive by the aggressive and high-flying antics of sophomore Justin Butler. Paired with the cold Panther shooters and the dizzying drives from Butler, the Braves were able to hold their composure in the first quarter, trailing Dr. Phillips, 18-20, heading into the second.
Things slowed down in the second quarter with both teams going cold from the field. Still suffocated on the boards by the Panthers, senior Frank Dempsey scored the lone field goal for the Braves in the desolate second quarter. Despite refusing to close out on the Dr. Phillips shooters, the Braves got lucky, escaping the first half only trailing by eight.
The luck ran out for the Braves in the third quarter with the Panthers finally connecting on their wide-open 3’s. Boone’s small lineup was not able to compete against Dr. Phillips’ big men in the middle, giving the Panthers free reign over the paint on both ends of the floor. Things seemed to fall apart when the Braves got sloppy with the ball, allowing Dr. Phillips too many fast-break points. Despite sophomore Jordan Morales heating up in the third period with seven points, the Panthers extended their lead to 38-51 heading into the final period.
Dr. Phillips ran away with the game in the fourth period, limiting Boone to 11 points in the quarter. Showing great heart, the Braves fought hard for each loose ball but could not come up with possession when it mattered. Dr. Phillips soundly defeated the Braves 49-71.
Notable performances from Justin Butler with a team high 14 points and Jordan Morales with 10.
Come out and support the Braves at their next game on Saturday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. at Lake Brantley High School.