By Austin Bishop
JACKSON — First-year McAdams High School boys basketball coach Joe Garrett has seen his team fight through some struggles this season.
In fact, the Bulldogs lost in the semifinals of the Region 6-1A Tournament before finishing third — meaning they had to win a play-in game on the road just to make the MHSAA Class 1A South State Tournament.
"It's about motivation and not giving up," Garrett said moments after his Bulldogs, who finished second in the South State Tournament behind arch-rival Durant, had knocked off top-ranked Myrtle 68-65 to earn a spot in Thursday's 1A State Championship Game against Ingomar.
"I keep instilling in them to never give up and play hard no matter how bad it looks," he said. "That's what we believe in and what we stick with."
Myrtle took a 46-45 lead over McAdams to open the fourth quarter in the semifinal contest at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, but the Bulldogs responded with some key three-pointers and clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch.
"We turned it up defensively and made a little push, then we begin making some 3-point shots," said McAdams sharp-shooter Alexander Mosley, who finished the game with 19 points. "When you believe in them you are going to make them."
Mosely — who hit a pair of big 3s in the third quarter — knocked down another one with 2:06 left to put the winners up 57-56.
After Myrtle tied the game, the Bulldogs then hit 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch to ice the win.
"That's something we haven't been too good at lately, but we did it today," Mosely said.
The key to the McAdams offensive attack throughout the game was the slicing drives to the basket by senior point guard Patrick Lewis.
"I just have to believe in our players and shooters and in the second half I did a better job of driving and kicking it to my shooters,” Lewis said.
When the ball wasn't going outside it was going to big man Jarvis Greer, who scored 12 points of his own.
"When Patrick is playing like that all you have to do is be ready to capitalize and finish," Greer said.
John Allen, who also had the touch from long range, scored 16 points for the 23-7 Bulldogs, while Lewis scored 13.
