No. 9 Male opened its Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass tournament run in convincing fashion Friday afternoon, pulling away for a 71–46 victory over Greeneville (Tenn.) in a first-round matchup to advance to the quarterfinals and earn the 51st all-time KOB win in program history.
The Bulldogs (5–1) wasted little time establishing control, jumping out to a 24–14 lead after the opening quarter behind strong defensive pressure and efficient shot selection. Male continued to dictate the tempo in the second quarter, forcing turnovers and capitalizing in transition to build a 41–24 advantage at halftime.
Jordan Mitchell was named Central Bank Player of the Game after leading all scorers with 21 points, showcasing his ability to score at all three levels while also facilitating the offense and setting the tone defensively. Jaden Johnson added 19 points, repeatedly attacking the paint and finishing through contact as Male’s balanced attack kept Greeneville on its heels.
The third quarter proved decisive, as Male outscored the Green Devils 16–9 while pushing the lead beyond 20 points. The Bulldogs continued to apply pressure defensively, limiting second-chance opportunities and turning stops into easy scoring chances. Male extended the advantage to as many as 30 points before closing out the win.
Greeneville (0–10) was led by Yordan Mills, who scored 10 points, but the Green Devils struggled to generate consistent offense against Male’s length and physicality for much of the afternoon.
With the authoritative opening-round victory, Male moves on to the quarterfinals where they will play Covington Catholic on Saturday at 4:30pm. Greeneville will play Lee in the consolation bracket at 4:30pm on Saturday.
No comments:
Post a Comment