Garfield’s Tempo Too Much for Young Panthers
By Steve Dion
| Tuesday- December 15th | 2015 | Boys | 3A | Metro | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Prep High School | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Seattle Prep | 11 | 19 | 12 | 25 | 67 | |
| Garfield | 20 | 25 | 21 | 23 | 89 | |
Garfield junior Jaylen Nowell
Terrell Brown led the top ranked Garfield Bulldogs with 23 points in their victory over Seattle Prep on Tuesday night. Ed Haskins’ defending state champs were victorious by a comfortable 22 point margin, but Steve Kelly’s young Panthers squad showed they can compete with the state’s best in this one. The first half was very physical and thus many key players from both sides received fouls that tested the depth of both rosters. Garfield had early success when they applied the full court press, especially with Prep’s floor general Aaron Nettles on the sidelines. The front court battle of Garfield’s Alphonso Anderson and J’Raan Brooks against SP’s Collin Welp and Nic Lynch was exciting as both duos were integral scoring combos for both teams early. The forwards combined for 14 and 13 in the first two quarters respectively. At the break, Brown’s five field goals helped the Bulldogs earn a 45-30 lead.
Needing to chip away the GHS lead to give themselves a chance in the fourth quarter, Seattle Prep needed to start the second half strong. However, the opposite occurred. Garfield extended the lead to 21 points early in the third as they were able to play at a high tempo and score on the fast break. Jaylen Nowell put a stamp on the game when he threw down a pair of dunks as part of his 14. Prep’s lack of consistent shot-takers dashed their ability to keep pace with the high-flying Bulldogs. The Panthers put together a strong final quarter even though Garfield’s big lead was not in jeopardy. The home team earned 20 trips to the free throw line in which 13 were made. Coach Haskins was able to distribute minutes up and down his roster in the fourth quarter to close out the ballgame. Double digit scorers for the Bulldogs included Daejon Davis, Brown, Nowell, and Brooks. Seattle Prep’s Nettles, Welp, and Lynch scored in double figures.
The Final Score
Garfield 89, Seattle Prep 67
Top Performers:
Garfield
Terrell Brown- 23 points (5/7 FTs)
Seattle Prep
Aaron Nettles- 20 points (8/10 FTs)