Even without one of the top players in Region 4 for a majority of the first half, the Warren Central boys’ basketball team was still able to find a way to win 61-54 against a tough Paducah Tilghman team on Saturday in the Rafferty’s Shootout at South Warren High School.
Potter didn’t start for the Dragons (4-0) because of an attendance issue at school and only scored three total points in the first half. During his absence, Micale Mee stepped up and scored 9 points in the first half to help Central to stay in the game early.
“I didn’t get to play the first quarter – I got in a little bit of trouble at school attendance wise,” Potter said. “But I came back out and did my business in the second half. It hurt sitting out the first quarter. I had to serve my time, but once I came back in, I helped us out.”
After a quiet half, Potter exploded for 25 points in the second half – including 16 in the fourth quarter – to help the Dragons get past the Blue Tornado.
Paducah Tilghman jumped out to a 5-0 start before Warren Central used a trio of three pointers by Mee to put Warren Central up 15-8 after the first quarter.
“Making threes early gives us confidence,” Warren Central coach William Unseld said. “But, in the second quarter, we kept shooting them and at halftime I told them that I wanted the ball to go inside more. We’re hard to beat when we get the ball around the rim. The closer you play to the rim, the better you are.”
The Blue Tornado opened the second on an 8-3 run to cut the Dragons’ lead to 18-16 at the 4:08 mark. A pull-up jumper by Joe Workman tied it at 18-18 with 3:20 left in the opening half.
Paducah Tilghman continued to dominate in the quarter, holding a high-scoring Warren Central team to just three points to hold a 25-18 advantage at halftime. After two periods, Rodriguez Thomas had nine points for Tilghman while Mee had nine to pace Central.
“He’s probably one of our top defenders, he’s grown to 6-3 from 5-10 last year and he’s playing well for us right now,” Unseld said of Mee. “He’s averaging double figures and he’s giving us a consistent third guy with Skyelar and Jordan (Cousin).”
The Dragons started finding their groove in the second half, opening the third quarter on a 9-2 run to even the scoreboard at 27-27 at the 4:28 mark. Paducah Tilghman responded and took a 35-34 lead with 43.8 seconds remaining in the half on a pair of Thomas free throws.
Warren Central went down 37-34, but a basket by Potter sent the Dragons into the final period down 37-36.
“Like coach says, get it down low,” said Potter. “Nobody in the region can guard me down low.”
An electrifying one-hand dunk by Mee with 5:31 put Central up 42-40 and moved his points total to 14. A few minutes later, Potter converted an and-one and then scored off an assist from Cousin to push the Dragons’ advantage to 55-47 with 2:27 left.
Central went up 57-50 with just over a minute left and was able to maintain that lead to seal it.
“If he’s not one of the three best players in the state of Kentucky, then I don’t know what’s going on,” Unseld said of Potter. “He had 28 and didn’t play the first quarter. He’s averaging 30 and shooting 66 percent from three. I hate to see what he did if he played the first quarter.”
Senior writer Tyler Mansfield can be reached at mansfield.sportingtimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @_TylerMansfield.
