East Marion is a game away from its first state basketball championship after overcoming a comeback to top Potts Camp 80-66 in the semifinals Monday.
The Eagles (26-5) will meet Okolona (29-2) in the Class 1A State Championship Thursday afternoon at 3 in the Mississippi Coliseum following the Chieftains’ 65-55 win over West Lowndes.
Eagles shooting guard Flenard McLin said it feels amazing to reach the championship for the first time in program history.
“We’re on the brink of history,” he said, “and now we’re just trying to finish the job.”
In the Final Four victory over Potts Camp, the Eagles jumped out to a huge lead in the first half that ballooned to 20 points, 42-22, in the opening minutes of the second half, but the fouls the Eagles accumulated early came back to haunt them.
With big men John Rawls and Caleb Rawls on the bench with foul trouble, the Cardinals went on a 27-12 run to get back in it with Mitchell Saulsberry leading the way. The talented and long sophomore capped off three straight possessions with and-one layups — all off of offensive rebounds — and dominated the glass, particularly while John Rawls was out of the game. Saulsberry finished the game with 25 points and 20 rebounds (15 offensive).
Potts Camp finished its long comeback with a 9-4 start to the fourth quarter that tied it 60-60 with four minutes remaining. McLin said all he was thinking about once Potts Camp tied it up was someone needed to make a big play to get the momentum back on East Marion’s side.
“We had to do whatever it takes to win. The season was on the line, and this is my senior year,” he said. “It’s the last ride.”
And it was McLin who sparked an 8-2 run that spanned just 35 seconds with back-to-back transition layups off steals, and a minute later he finished another layup in transition, drew a foul and swished the free throw to put East Marion up 72-62. The Eagles did everything right the final four minutes, ending a 20-6 stretch with a trip to the state championship.
John Rawls said that although the Cardinals had all the momentum, he knew East Marion was going to rise to the occasion.
“I still had faith in my guys because we’ve been in situations like that before. Once I got back out there, I knew it was over,” he said. “I knew we were going push through with the lead.”
East Marion head coach Calvin Brown said the Eagles were fortunate to recapture the lead and separate down the stretch. He said it was a gamble to go to their trap defense that led to the steals because had Potts Camp been able to break the pressure it would have put John Rawls in bad position to pick up his fifth and final foul.
“It’s a sigh of relief because we did a lot to let them back in it. That run we made to separate late very easily could have been theirs,” he said.
Vashon Sims led East Marion with 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting, while McLin dazzled in transition to score 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Brown said McLin’s efficiency and clutch buckets can be attributed to his veteran savvy.
“The same opportunities were there for Caleb, Vashon and potentially (John), but Mac just has a little bit maturity about it as far as reading how the game is being officiated and reading how they’re setting you up for the swipe. We gave them the swipe away block multiple times without adjusting, but he had a better sense for how they were trying to play the ball,” he said. “He made the necessary adjustments to get all the way to the backboard.”
Caleb Rawls added 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, and John Rawls chipped in seven points and two blocks while both sat significant minutes. Devin Daniels contributed six points, five rebounds and five steals.
Nicholas Beach, who typically is only asked to provide a minute or two here and there to give John Rawls a breather, played 10 minutes while the Eagles star sat with foul trouble and gave East Marion four points and tough interior defense. Brown said the Eagles’ depth kept them alive, and Beach came through when they needed him most.
“I’m so proud of Nick Beach,” he said. “It was the biggest minutes of his life and his career. He’s already been accepted as a Marine, so that’s a high school memory he can take with him when he goes to serve his country.”
Pictured Above: East Marion's Caleb Rawls banks a layup off the glass Monday against Potts Camp. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
