Scots incredible ride ends
Boca Raton News
Published Sunday, March 5, 2014
by Hannon Deutsch
With the motivation of players that trekked the same path before him, Xavier Perkins fell to his knees in a state of perpetual disbelief.Â
The Saint Andrew’s jersey that absorbed Perkins’ sweat for the duration of 32 minutes was the same garment that concealed the spontaneity of his emotions. Throughout the postseason Perkins enforced team rules by using a precise system of checks and balances. He habitually deferred to his teammates, electing to sit back and watch the pace of the game unfold. Only when the situation called for intervention, did he step up and demand the ball. Naturally, Perkins’ teammates deferred.
In an instant, the same package that dispatched Chaminade, Cardinal Newman and St. Petersburg Catholic – along with 26 other teams – fell just short of possessing the Class 3A crown jewels. Perkins distanced himself from his teammates at the end of the bench, giving photographers the epitome of dejection. When he stood up, a large contingent of Scots faithful were in his corner, bagpipes and all. His biggest fan (mom) was right there too.
It might have helped detract his senses for the moment, but the reality of a Jones 51-47 victory pierced his train of thought for good.
“I still don’t understand,” said Perkins, who ended with 16 points and 10 rebounds. “We got here. That’s quote unquote good enough. But not in my head.”
When the Scots didn’t attack the rack hard enough, Marquise Johnson was there to record one of his seven blocks. When the passes weren’t crisp, Jones’ team speed came into play, as evidenced by the 10 steals.
Statistics usually don’t tell the entire story. But one in particular – assist/turnover ratio – is always a dependable reference. The Scots were minus-16 in that crucial category. Brian Dawson was 2-for-13 with seven turnovers, while Enrique Rodriguez-Paz had more turnovers (6) than points (4).
“Our No. 1 focus was we had to protect the ball,” Scots head coach John O’Connell said. “That’s why we lost.”
Game management in the crucial moments was also a huge factor.
Rodriguez-Paz passed up the open three in the corner and kicked it back to Perkins on the wing. Facing a double team, Perkins inserted the ball into the low post where Demetrius Porter converted a layup with 1.6 seconds remaining. The play, which was designed for dribble penetration, wasn’t supposed to last 14 seconds. Score quickly, foul immediately and hope for another opportunity.
Calvin Liptrot’s inbounds pass to Jarvis Williams sailed the length of the court for an easy two. Porter had no choice but to foul on the play and watch as Williams’ free throw iced the game.
“I didn’t pay attention to time,” Perkins said. “That’s my error. I put it on my shoulders.”
“I never expected that would run 14 seconds off the clock,” O’Connell said. “My gut at the time favored the percentages of going to the hole.”
Gut check time
After Jones started the season 4-9, it was gut check time. This was a team that was coming off a Class 4A state finals loss to Lakewood the previous season. In the end, none of the Tigers’ 12 losses came to a 3A team.
In the first half on Friday, it seemed as if Jones could do no wrong. Williams and Jerry Howard, Jr. made a living in the blocks, mostly while fighting double teams. Consequently, it opened up the outside shot for Jones, which made four 3-pointers and outscored its opponent 16-7 in the second frame.
Conversely, it seemed as if Jones couldn’t do anything right in the second half, especially when it came to keeping Porter off the glass. Williams, the MVP of the 3A tournament, did finish with 14 points, 13 rebounds and three swipes. Calvin Liptrot had 13 points, four assists and four steals for Jones.
Porter didn’t resist the friction of the low post despite picking up two fouls early on. Plenty of put backs and boxing out helped sustain the 16-5 run that trickled over into the fourth quarter. Porter’s box at the half: three points, two fouls. By the end of the third quarter it read something like this: 12 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks. All this came with 13 stitches adjacent to his left eye.
Porter’s 17 points and 15 rebounds were both game-highs, along with nine trips to the foul line.
“Everybody knows about Perkins,” Tigers head coach Jerry Howard said. “We talked about Porter. He probably has one of the quickest first steps behind Jarvis Williams in 3A basketball. They brought it to us in the second half.”
