Murphy 67, McGill-Toolen 64: Panthers hold on to knock off No. 1 Jackets
Posted January 14, 2015
MOBILE, Alabama – Longtime rivalsMurphy and McGill-Toolen staged a heavyweight fight Tuesday night worthy of two of the state’s top 7A basketball teams.
In front of a packed gym at McGill, Murphy got in the last blow.
The third-ranked Panthers built an eight-point lead with less than three minutes left and then withstood a furious rally by the top-ranked Yellow Jackets to claim a dramatic 67-64 Area 2 victory.
“I thought we won this game in practice,” Murphy coach Tim Waller said. “We really turned it up a notch or two for this game in our last few practices, and it showed tonight.”
Murphy, down seven midway through the third quarter, turned the game around and took a 62-54 lead on two free throws and a layup byCameron Johnson with 2:20 left.
However, back came McGill. The Yellow Jackets (18-4, 1-1) scored six quick points to get back into contention, cutting the Murphy lead to 62-60. McGill had a chance to tie the game when Rene Scott hit a driving layup and was fouled with 36.8 seconds left. However, Scott missed the free throw, leaving the Murphy lead at 64-63.
The Panthers then hit three of four free throws in the final 31 seconds to secure the win. Murphy improved to 19-3 overall with the win and remained perfect in the area with a 4-0 mark.
“We’ve won a lot of games this year by winning the battle on the glass,” McGill-Toolen coach Phillip Murphy said. “Tonight, Murphy beat us at our own game. They controlled the glass, and I thought that was the difference.
“I thought these were two evenly matched teams. The kids on both sides played hard and have a lot of respect for each other. It looked like what the No. 1 team vs. the No. 3 team in the state should look like. I just hate that we came out on the losing end this time.”
Murphy’s Cameron Grepke led all scorers with 20 points. Tamarco McDuffiefollowed with 11 for the Panthers.
Scott led McGill with 15. Logan Cooney had 14 and Marlon Williams finished with nine. Deion Dozier and Charles Ollis each scored eight before fouling out late.
“I thought our depth played a big role tonight,” Waller said. “When McGill went to its second group, we had a plan for them. I thought our depth and our length gave them trouble at times, but it was a great game.
“This was a Tyson-Holifield fight all the way until the buzzer sounded.”
Both teams travel to Baldwin County on Friday night for area games. Murphy plays atFoley, while McGill-Toolen plays at Fairhope.
