Gaston Day girls advance, boys ousted from MAC tourney in OT
By Joe Hughes jhughes@gastongazette.com
Posted Feb 7, 2019 at 11:55 PM
Thursday offered a mixed bag of sorts for the Gaston Day boys and girls basketball teams at the MAC tournament.
CHARLOTTE — Following a rough first half in which little went his team’s way, even Gaston Day girls hoops coach Jody Patton found himself needing to regain his composure.
Such tends to be easy when you can turn to the likes of sophomore guard Zaria Clark and Lees-McRae signee Olivia King.
On a tough night from the field for the Spartans, a solid second half by the duo keyed their team to a 44-33 victory over Metrolina Christian in the Metrolina Athletic Conference tournament’s semifinal round at Hickory Grove Christian School.
“I think our girls thought they could show out, roll out the ball and have things happen in their favor,” Patton said. “But at this point of the season, it’s about surviving and advancing.”
After a fast start that saw Gaston Day score eight of the game’s first 10 points, things turned cold for its from the field. The Spartans went nine minutes without a shot from the field — Clark’s mid-range jumper ending the drought at the three-minute mark of the second period.
During that span, Gaston Day saw an early lead evaporate into an eight-point deficit.
“(Metrolina Christian) was extremely physical, very scrappy and made us have to work,” Patton said. “It was up to us to adjust.”
It didn’t take long after halftime for those adjustments to manifest.
Clark and King asserted themselves in the front and backcourt, respectively, making all entry passes for their opponents difficult. As a result, the Spartans began the third on a 9-0 run, allowing them to take a lead they would not relinquish.
“It’s tournament time, we can’t get rattled,” Patton said. “Those two are our horses, and we’ll ride them until the end.”
Clark led the Spartans with 20 points, while King earned a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
With the win, Gaston Day advances to the tournament championship game, where it will take on Concord First Assembly - the only team the Spartans fell to in conference play this season. The league title tilt will take place at 6 p.m. Friday at the Hickory Grove Christian School Family Life Center.
“The main thing for us will be not getting rattled. They are physical, but if we stay composed and take care of the basketball, we’ll be fine,” Patton said.
By Joe Hughes jhughes@gastongazette.com
Posted Feb 7, 2019 at 11:55 PM
Thursday offered a mixed bag of sorts for the Gaston Day boys and girls basketball teams at the MAC tournament.
CHARLOTTE — Following a rough first half in which little went his team’s way, even Gaston Day girls hoops coach Jody Patton found himself needing to regain his composure.
Such tends to be easy when you can turn to the likes of sophomore guard Zaria Clark and Lees-McRae signee Olivia King.
On a tough night from the field for the Spartans, a solid second half by the duo keyed their team to a 44-33 victory over Metrolina Christian in the Metrolina Athletic Conference tournament’s semifinal round at Hickory Grove Christian School.
“I think our girls thought they could show out, roll out the ball and have things happen in their favor,” Patton said. “But at this point of the season, it’s about surviving and advancing.”
After a fast start that saw Gaston Day score eight of the game’s first 10 points, things turned cold for its from the field. The Spartans went nine minutes without a shot from the field — Clark’s mid-range jumper ending the drought at the three-minute mark of the second period.
During that span, Gaston Day saw an early lead evaporate into an eight-point deficit.
“(Metrolina Christian) was extremely physical, very scrappy and made us have to work,” Patton said. “It was up to us to adjust.”
It didn’t take long after halftime for those adjustments to manifest.
Clark and King asserted themselves in the front and backcourt, respectively, making all entry passes for their opponents difficult. As a result, the Spartans began the third on a 9-0 run, allowing them to take a lead they would not relinquish.
“It’s tournament time, we can’t get rattled,” Patton said. “Those two are our horses, and we’ll ride them until the end.”
Clark led the Spartans with 20 points, while King earned a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
With the win, Gaston Day advances to the tournament championship game, where it will take on Concord First Assembly - the only team the Spartans fell to in conference play this season. The league title tilt will take place at 6 p.m. Friday at the Hickory Grove Christian School Family Life Center.
“The main thing for us will be not getting rattled. They are physical, but if we stay composed and take care of the basketball, we’ll be fine,” Patton said.
