COLLINS — Thanks to an imposingly dominant 23-0 run covering the first six minutes of the game, the Eagles clinched a playoff berth Monday night with an 87-60 win over Perry Central in the first round of the Region 8-2A tournament at Collins.
East Marion (7-16) scored at will in the first quarter while smothering the Bulldogs’ offense, which finally scored with 29 seconds remaining in the opening stanza, and set the tone for the rest of the game.
“With some of our guys that are emerging and getting used to their roles, it did a lot for their confidence,” head coach Calvin Brown said on the court following the win. “It was much needed because of that late surge. I think that cushion helped us keep our composure.”
With the win the Eagles will take on No. 1 seed North Forrest (16-7) in the semifinals Thursday evening at 5:30. In the previous two matchups this year, North Forrest beat East Marion 60-51 in overtime and 45-44 in a game that featured a controversial no-call on a potential game-winning shot by East Marion.
It’s going to be key for the Eagles to keep 6-foot-4 forward Joe Holloway in check, according to Brown. The junior averages around 20 points per game, and Brown said he’s going to score but they have to make it difficult for him to get in a groove.
“Then we just need to finish plays across the board. We need multiple guys contributing. Again if it’s close down the stretch, it comes down to just making the plays to get over the hump,” he said.
Brown said clinching a playoff berth and advancing to the semifinals of the district tournament is like a new beginning for the Eagles. He added getting another shot at North Forrest and potentially St. Patrick or Collins in the championship affords the Eagles a chance to redeem themselves for previous losses.
“We played them all really close and just didn’t finish. Now it’s a chance to prove that we’re mature enough to position ourselves again and close down the stretch,” he said. “We’re excited for the opportunity.”
Perry Central eventually got its offense rolling Monday but never trimmed the deficit to less than 16 points. From the second quarter on, though, the game slowed to a crawl as whistle-happy referees called fouls for even minor contact and issued eight combined technical fouls. Brown said it’s just the new climate in officiating with a new mantra of zero tolerance and added it’s understandable with fans and players sometimes crossing the line.
“We have to adjust to them. They’re not going to adjust to us,” he said.
Both Caleb Rawls and Cameron Walker set new career highs in points against the Bulldogs. Rawls poured in 33 points — his first 30-plus game — with at least half of points coming from the charity stripe. Walker added 25 points while shooting 3-of-4 from behind the arc.
Christopher “Deuce” Johnson rounded out the scoring for East Marion with eight points.
Pictured Above: East Marion's Caleb Rawls dribbles out of a double team Monday night against Perry Central. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
