Greenfield closes 2020 by clipping Forsyth Country Day, 66-63
Times
By Jimmy Lewis
jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter: @JimmyLewisWT
It was the small things — the necessary things — that put the Greenfield School varsity boys basketball team in a position to win Thursday afternoon’s final game of 2020 against Lewisville Forsyth Country Day.
Playing their third game in as many days, the Knights avoided their first three-game losing streak since the 2015-16 season by beating opponents to the spot and drawing the foul.
Down by one entering the fourth quarter, Greenfield generated whistles on five straight possessions, reaching the bonus with 6 minutes, 15 seconds remaining. The combination of junior Aaron Murphy and freshman Hampton Evans performed at the foul line, giving the Knights what amounted to a three-possession lead at 64-57.
Forsyth Country Day made one final run and had a chance to send the game to overtime, but Brandon Morgan’s 3-pointer rimmed out in the closing seconds to help Greenfield to a 66-63 victory.
Murphy was nothing short of dominant underneath in securing his third double-double of the week, securing 24 points and 15 rebounds. His turnaround jumper early in the fourth quarter gave Greenfield (5-2), 1-A members of the 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, the lead for good.
“At the end of the game, I told Hampton and Aaron how tough and strong they were,” Greenfield head coach Rob Salter said. “And they got those calls because they were solid and tough and making strong moves to the basket. I thought we were very physical going after the ball today. We didn’t go after it like we were tired; I thought we kind of went after it like we were hungry. We still made some huge mistakes, but these guys will learn from them.”
The Knights finished 15 of 28 from the free-throw line, with 17 of those attempts coming in the fourth quarter. Greenfield still permitted the game to come down to the last shot via a 9-for-17 display in the final period.
Typically a prominent offense from 3-point range, the Knights shot just 4 of 12 from beyond the arc and overcame a 33-12 disparity in that department after the 3-A Piedmont Triad Athletic Conference Furies launched at an 11-for-31 clip.
Greenfield trailed 48-41 in the third quarter and put its issues with ending Forsyth possessions on display after the Furies grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Morgan. His 3-pointer dropped, leaving the Knights down by seven with 4 minutes, 56 seconds left in the third. Salter utilized the ensuing timeout to audibly challenge Greenfield on the glass.
“I was really worried about how our legs were going to be today,” Salter said. “That’s three really good teams we’ve played, and I was proud of how we bounced back.”
But Greenfield closed the third quarter on an 11-5 run to pull within a point, using a layup from freshman Jordan Vick and sophomore C.J. Alston to start the push. Freshman Drew Pittman’s sole basket, a 3-pointer, pulled the Knights within one at 53-52 entering the fourth quarter.
Murphy and Evans put Greenfield back in front from there as Vick was able to remain on the floor by avoiding the foul trouble that plagued him in the week’s earlier games. Evans supplemented Murphy in the fourth by making five of his eight free throws during that span, and his offensive rebound with 3 minutes, 57 seconds to play put the Knights up five at 62-57. Evans and Alston split trips at the foul line to push the margin to seven at 64-57 with just under two minutes to go.
“He’s a grown man,” Salter said of Murphy. “He can play that way, he can dominate a game that way. He’s such a different player where he can do it inside out, and he can really shoot the basketball. I’ve been challenging him this week to dominate a game, and I thought all three games, he’s done that.”
Murphy’s performance also caught the eye — and the raspy voice of Furies head coach Doug Esleeck.
“Thirteen (Murphy), he’s a load,” Esleeck said. “He knows how to use his body to get in good places. It’s just hard to guard. Most of that was them and not us or the officials. It was them executing what they wanted to do.”
But Greenfield still had to hang on inside the final two minutes as Forsyth Country Day utilized Greenfield turnovers to climb within two at 65-63. The Furies had a possession to tie prior to missing the 3-pointer that would have put it in overtime, but an intended wrap-around pass from Nathaniel Williams found no one and rocketed out of bounds with just over a minute left.
Vick had 12 points for Greenfield, while Evans had 11. Forsyth Country Day had three in double figures, paced by Jay Mitchell’s 15 points.
“We knew it was going to be a tough week,” Salter said. “But I’m proud of how we battled against these teams. We got better, every day and it’s a good way to finish the week.”
As well as 2020.
FORSYTH COUNTRY DAY (63)
Carter 3, Mitchell 15, Hutchins 3, Williams 5, Morgan 13, Crawford 12, Pilson 4, Brim 3, Thomas 6.
GREENFIELD (66)
Murphy 24, Evans 11, Alston 4, Vick 12, Holland 8, Peten 1, Watt, Wall, Edwards 3, Pittman 3.
Score by quarters:
Forsyth Country Day 18 18 17 10 — 63
Greenfield 16 20 16 14 — 66
Times
By Jimmy Lewis
jlewis@wilsontimes.com | 265-7807 | Twitter: @JimmyLewisWT
It was the small things — the necessary things — that put the Greenfield School varsity boys basketball team in a position to win Thursday afternoon’s final game of 2020 against Lewisville Forsyth Country Day.
Playing their third game in as many days, the Knights avoided their first three-game losing streak since the 2015-16 season by beating opponents to the spot and drawing the foul.
Down by one entering the fourth quarter, Greenfield generated whistles on five straight possessions, reaching the bonus with 6 minutes, 15 seconds remaining. The combination of junior Aaron Murphy and freshman Hampton Evans performed at the foul line, giving the Knights what amounted to a three-possession lead at 64-57.
Forsyth Country Day made one final run and had a chance to send the game to overtime, but Brandon Morgan’s 3-pointer rimmed out in the closing seconds to help Greenfield to a 66-63 victory.
Murphy was nothing short of dominant underneath in securing his third double-double of the week, securing 24 points and 15 rebounds. His turnaround jumper early in the fourth quarter gave Greenfield (5-2), 1-A members of the 1-A/2-A Coastal Plain Independents Conference, the lead for good.
“At the end of the game, I told Hampton and Aaron how tough and strong they were,” Greenfield head coach Rob Salter said. “And they got those calls because they were solid and tough and making strong moves to the basket. I thought we were very physical going after the ball today. We didn’t go after it like we were tired; I thought we kind of went after it like we were hungry. We still made some huge mistakes, but these guys will learn from them.”
The Knights finished 15 of 28 from the free-throw line, with 17 of those attempts coming in the fourth quarter. Greenfield still permitted the game to come down to the last shot via a 9-for-17 display in the final period.
Typically a prominent offense from 3-point range, the Knights shot just 4 of 12 from beyond the arc and overcame a 33-12 disparity in that department after the 3-A Piedmont Triad Athletic Conference Furies launched at an 11-for-31 clip.
Greenfield trailed 48-41 in the third quarter and put its issues with ending Forsyth possessions on display after the Furies grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it out to Morgan. His 3-pointer dropped, leaving the Knights down by seven with 4 minutes, 56 seconds left in the third. Salter utilized the ensuing timeout to audibly challenge Greenfield on the glass.
“I was really worried about how our legs were going to be today,” Salter said. “That’s three really good teams we’ve played, and I was proud of how we bounced back.”
But Greenfield closed the third quarter on an 11-5 run to pull within a point, using a layup from freshman Jordan Vick and sophomore C.J. Alston to start the push. Freshman Drew Pittman’s sole basket, a 3-pointer, pulled the Knights within one at 53-52 entering the fourth quarter.
Murphy and Evans put Greenfield back in front from there as Vick was able to remain on the floor by avoiding the foul trouble that plagued him in the week’s earlier games. Evans supplemented Murphy in the fourth by making five of his eight free throws during that span, and his offensive rebound with 3 minutes, 57 seconds to play put the Knights up five at 62-57. Evans and Alston split trips at the foul line to push the margin to seven at 64-57 with just under two minutes to go.
“He’s a grown man,” Salter said of Murphy. “He can play that way, he can dominate a game that way. He’s such a different player where he can do it inside out, and he can really shoot the basketball. I’ve been challenging him this week to dominate a game, and I thought all three games, he’s done that.”
Murphy’s performance also caught the eye — and the raspy voice of Furies head coach Doug Esleeck.
“Thirteen (Murphy), he’s a load,” Esleeck said. “He knows how to use his body to get in good places. It’s just hard to guard. Most of that was them and not us or the officials. It was them executing what they wanted to do.”
But Greenfield still had to hang on inside the final two minutes as Forsyth Country Day utilized Greenfield turnovers to climb within two at 65-63. The Furies had a possession to tie prior to missing the 3-pointer that would have put it in overtime, but an intended wrap-around pass from Nathaniel Williams found no one and rocketed out of bounds with just over a minute left.
Vick had 12 points for Greenfield, while Evans had 11. Forsyth Country Day had three in double figures, paced by Jay Mitchell’s 15 points.
“We knew it was going to be a tough week,” Salter said. “But I’m proud of how we battled against these teams. We got better, every day and it’s a good way to finish the week.”
As well as 2020.
FORSYTH COUNTRY DAY (63)
Carter 3, Mitchell 15, Hutchins 3, Williams 5, Morgan 13, Crawford 12, Pilson 4, Brim 3, Thomas 6.
GREENFIELD (66)
Murphy 24, Evans 11, Alston 4, Vick 12, Holland 8, Peten 1, Watt, Wall, Edwards 3, Pittman 3.
Score by quarters:
Forsyth Country Day 18 18 17 10 — 63
Greenfield 16 20 16 14 — 66
