After watching his team’s 12-point lead get trimmed to six midway through the third quarter of Tuesday night’s District 5-A boys’ basketball semifinal, Silverdale Baptist Academy coach Slater Belew knew he needed a timeout.
In the huddle, he looked to Brannon Walls and Christian Rogers for leadership, and the team’s two seniors came through.
Walls’ 3-pointer coming out of the break sparked a 16-0 run over the next 4:16 and carried the Seahawks to a 54-25 victory over Boyd-Buchanan.
Second-seeded Silverdale advanced to meet No. 1 seed Arts & Sciences in the boys’ championship Wednesday at 7:30 at CSAS. Silverdale and CSAS will also face off in the girls’ final at 6 after both teams won their semifinals Tuesday.
“I called that timeout and told the guys to calm down,” Belew said. “Our two seniors really stepped up and provided that leadership that we’ve been harping on all year. We as a coaching staff really rely on that leadership, and they sure showed it out on the court today. We play a wide variety of ages, so having those two seniors out there to calm us down when we’re running around with our heads cut off really helps.”
Caylor Crockett and Jonathan Sims also contributed 3s during the Seahawks’ third-quarter run, which came after they had led 25-13 at the half but let Boyd-Buchanan get back within 27-21 to open the quarter. Silverdale totaled seven treys, including three from Walls, who finished with a team-high 11 points.
Freshman Ian Johnson followed with 10 points for a 14-9 Silverdale team that had gone 10 days without playing a game.
“I feel like we came out with a lot of energy and intensity, which is something we’ve talked about for the past 10 days,” Belew said. “We’ve had a lot of practice time, and I gave the guys a couple days off. I thought our guys really came out and gave it their all tonight. That’s about the best I’ve seen us look on defense. We rotated well, we got the stops that we needed, and we transitioned very well.
“I’m just proud of the way our guys fought. It’s sort of tough coming off a long break, but our guys responded well.”
Silverdale girls 48, Boyd-Buchanan 35: The top-seeded Lady Seahawks pulled away for an early lead, but couldn’t quite put the Lady Bucs away in the first half. Boyd-Buchanan got within 20-16 with 2:56 left in the second quarter, but a basket from Rachel Sanders in the final seconds gave Silverdale a 28-20 halftime advantage.
“Boyd does a really good job,” Lady Seahawks coach Victor Underwood said. “We knew we wouldn’t be able to just come in and impose our will. Their coach does a great job and I knew her girls were going to be ready. We knew it was going to take four quarters and I feel like we strung four together tonight.”
The Lady Seahawks scored the first six points of the second half and took control from there, finishing the third period with a 38-23 lead. Sanders scored six of Silverdale’s 10 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 12. Maddie Caldwell finished with a game-high 17 for the Lady Seahawks, and Emily Harkleroad added 11.
“I really challenged them before the game to come out with a lot of effort, and I feel like they did that,” Underwood said. “I was really pleased with the way Maddie came out and got on the glass. She had a big night for us.”
The victory improves Silverdale’s record to 19-6, but the Lady Seahawks split their regular-season games with CSAS, and will face the Lady Patriots for the district title in Wednesday’s rematch.
“It’s been a big goal for our seniors,” Underwood said of his team’s shot at a championship. “They’ve never won a district title since they’ve been in high school, and it’s something we’ve talked about since the beginning of the year. It’s nice that everything is starting to come together, but we’ve got another big game tomorrow night.
“I’m really proud of our girls, especially our seniors. They came out and responded to what I challenged them with before the game.”
Meredith Balthrop led Boyd-Buchanan with 12 points and Laney Bone followed with 11. The Lady Bucs will face Copper Basin in the girls’ consolation game Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Arts & Sciences girls 59, Copper Basin 49: The Lady Cougars couldn’t stop the Lady Patriots’ Lennex Walker, who scored 33 points in the win. Second-seeded CSAS, which pulled away in the second quarter for a 33-20 halftime advantage, also got 14 points from Lamiah Walker.
Arts & Sciences 82, Copper Basin 36: No. 1 CSAS opened the game on an 11-0 run, and never looked back in its victory over the fifth-seeded Cougars, who won their play-in game against Grace Academy on Monday. The Patriots finished with 10 3-pointers, including three from Cahlib Edwards.
His 19 points led four Patriots in double figures, as Jameel Dodds and Darius Graves each scored 11, and Hollis Edwards followed with 10. Bryson Kimsey scored 13 for Copper Basin, which will face Boyd-Buchanan in the boys’ consolation game Wednesday at 4:30.
(E-mail Jaime Barrett at jaimenbarrett@gmail.com)
District 5-A Semifinals
ARTS & SCIENCES GIRLS 59, COPPER BASIN 49
Copper Basin 15 5 14 15 -- 49
Arts & Sciences 18 15 11 15 -- 59
Copper Basin (49) -- Collins 5, Lauren Brackett 14, Jessika Patterson 18, A. Brackett 4, E. Patterson 2, Hedden 2, Deal 2, Stuart, H. Brackett, Caraway 2, Nipper, Allen.
Arts & Sciences (59) -- Lennex Walker 33, Lamiah Walker 14, Benn, Lansden, Crumsey, Randolph 6, Mayes 2, Fugh 2, Williams, Justice 2.
3-point goals: Copper Basin 4 (J. Patterson 2, L. Brackett, Colllins); CSAS 1 (L. Walker).
ARTS & SCIENCES 82, COPPER BASIN 36
Copper Basin 9 10 14 3 -- 36
Arts & Sciences 19 20 24 19 -- 82
Copper Basin (36) -- Crowe, Hicks 7, Allen, Bryson Kimsey 13, Trentham 8, Huskins 2, Mickens 2, Limburg.
Arts & Sciences (82) -- Clark 5, Alegre 5, Cahlib Edwards 19, Hamilton 7, Jameel Dodds 11, Sterling 2, Darius Graves 11, Pulliam 3, House 3, Hollis Edwards 10, McKnight 4, Cameron 2, Morris, Hawkins, Pride.
3-point goals: Copper Basin 3 (Kimsey 2, Hicks); Arts & Sciences 10 (Edwards 3, Dodds 2, Edwards 2, Hamilton, Clark, Alegre).
SILVERDALE BAPTIST GIRLS 48, BOYD-BUCHANAN 35
Boyd-Buchanan 9 11 3 12 -- 35
Silverdale 14 14 10 10 -- 48
Boyd-Buchanan (35) -- Laney Bone 11, Taylor, Hill 1, Boggs, Gardenhire 3, Taylor 7, Meredith Balthrop 12, High 1.
Silverdale (48) -- Canter, White 8, Maddie Caldwell 17, Ray, Emily Harkleroad 11, Woodward, Rachel Sanders 12.
3-point goals: Boyd-Buchanan 2 (Taylor, Balthrop); Silverdale 4 (White 2, Harkleroad 2).
SILVERDALE BAPTIST 54, BOYD-BUCHANAN 25
Boyd-Buchanan 4 9 8 4 -- 25
Silverdale 12 13 18 11 -- 54
Boyd-Buchanan (25) -- Edmondson 5, Gilley, Eli Evans 11, Covington, Baker 7, Serven, Oliver, Beavers, Burbach, Emrey 2, Serven.
Silverdale (54) -- Sims 3, Crockett 3, Sparkman, Ian Johnson 10, Brannon Walls 11, Keylon, Hannah 7, King 4, Sanders 4, Mench, Rogers 8.
3-point goals: Boyd-Buchanan 2 (Evans, Baker); Silverdale 7 (Walls 3, Johnson, Crockett, Sims).