Postseason basketball is all about getting hot at the right time, and Hattiesburg looks to be doing just that as the Tigers made quick work of South Jones in the Region 6-5A championship game.
The Tigers, who have now won 14 straight games, executed their game plan perfectly in the 72-52 victory. The plan was simple, jump out big and force South Jones to play catch up.
“The plan was to get up big,” Hattiesburg coach Ernie Watson said. “They had to fight to catch us. We don’t have to do that. We took some bad shots and did some bad things, but that’s just the learning curve, and we are proud of that.”
Hattiesburg took a 12-2 lead in the first quarter and never really looked back. The Tigers overwhelmed South Jones early on with their outside shooting. In total, Hattiesburg knocked down three quick shots from beyond the arc.
“We couldn’t give them anything to feel good about,” Watson said. “That was the plan. I’m glad we executed.
“We wanted to shoot the ball well. That way, they can’t cover our inside. They were hoping that we would miss, and that’s why they went to zone (defense). I told them if they come out of the zone, they knew what to do, and they did.”
Hattiesburg built as much as a 21-point lead in the second quarter and, with ease, went on cruise control for the rest of the game as the Tigers went into halftime with a 34-18 lead.
“They are starting to listen, and that’s the great thing about it,” Watson said. “They are starting to listen, and they are not fighting it. They are not stat hungry. They are not worried about their own personal goals. They are worried about the team goals right now.”
South Jones (14-9) managed to get the deficit to 18 points in the third quarter. The Tigers’ defense never allowed the Braves to put together a run, as South Jones only scored on back-to-back possessions twice in the second half.
Three different Tigers reached double digits, with Darrian Johnson and Stephen McCullon putting up 12 points and D’Anthony Rancifer scoring 11 points.
Watson said he feels confident that his team is not only peaking at the right time but is more than capable of finally ending the Tigers’ state championship drought. Hattiesburg’s last appearance in the state title game was in 2004, with the school’s only two championship seasons dating back to 1972 and 1974.
“I don’t take anything for granted,” Watson said. “I want to make sure that they understand the journey. The journey is all about togetherness, doing it together, and having the right frame of mind. It’s not about you, but it’s about your team.
“We talk about the banner up on the wall. We haven’t brought the ball home since that banner on the wall. Going (to the championship) is fine, but we have to win that thing. That’s what we are trying to do.”
Hattiesburg now earns a No. 1 seed in the Class 5A playoffs, and will have a bye in the first round.
