Tough loss for the Colonels....really nice game for the Dogs.

 

Dixie allowed too many second chance points.....(partly due to Pike playing less than half the game)

Turnovers didn't help the C's in this one either.

 

I thought Dixie's zone defense was effective.....the Dogs guards were just too quick offensively in man to man.

 

Holmes has shown when they bring their A game this season, they can play with anyone....maybe we'll get to see a rematch in a few weeks.

Dixie Heights (19-3) - Hassel 1 1 4, Trammel 2 1 5, Stansberry 6 2 16, Pike 6 0 12, Cohorn 1 0 2, Hatton 5 3 15, Muntis 2 0 4. Totals 23 7 58.

 

Holmes (15-7) - Peterson 4 0 8, Hayes 6 3 16, Gray 6 4 17, Rice 5 1 11, Palmer 1 4 6, Knox 1 2 4. Totals 23 14 62.

 

Dixie Heights 17 15 15 11 - 58

Holmes 14 19 12 17 - 62

 

3-pointers: DH 5 (Hassel, Stansberry 2, Hatton 2); H 2 (Hayes, Gray)

After reading the posts in this thread I think the results of this game show me a couple of things. After watching Holmes play NewCath and CovCath earlier in the year I thought that the key to beating Holmes was to throw various types of zone defenses against them and hope that they missed shots. You obviously don't want to get into an up and down game with them unless you have the talent that Ballard displayed in the high scoring affair at the Hoopin it Up classic where Ballard prevailed 100-96. I clearly expected Dixie to show a 1-3-1 zone utilizing the length of Stansberry and Pike much the way coach Listerman came out in the 2nd half of the CovCath / Holmes game. I thought it was very effective in that game and that Holmes wasn't prepared for it at that time. What this game shows me is that coach Booher has made some adjustments and had them ready to attack the 1-3-1, based on Walter's assessment.

 

Another thing that I thought after watching Dixie play a few games was that the key to beating them was to try to get Pike in foul trouble and not let Hatton go off on you. From some of the posts here it looks like that also occurred in this game. Dixie needs to have Pike on the floor for a lot of minutes to beat the better teams in the region. Muntis gives the team good minutes off the bench but he is not the threat that Pike can be on both sides of the ball.

 

All in all I think this game just reiterates what most of us have been saying all along in that the regional tournament is setting up to be one fantastic tournament with any one of maybe 5 or 6 teams capable of walking off the court at BOK arena with the trophy. I do think that one thing that could help the Bulldogs at the BOK is the 94' floor but the background there could cause them some shooting problems as well. As TO would say "better get your popcorn ready". This could be a great show.

Just got in from the game. Very entertaining, to say the least.

 

First few minutes were back and forth with both teams trading the lead until Holmes went on a 4-0 run to take a 3 point lead at 11-8. Dixie responded with a 7-0 run to take a 15-11 lead but Hayes answered with a big 3 to cut the lead to one at 15-14. With time winding down in the first quarter, Goose Cohorn missed a shot but gathered his own rebound and hit a runner from about 5 feet out as time expired to put the Colonels on top 17-14 at the end of one.

 

Second quarter, Dixie opened up a 7 point lead with back to back buckets to start the quarter to put the Colonels on top 21-14. Holmes came back down on the next two possessions and got a Gray 3 and huge Rice dunk off a miss to close the gap to 2 at 21-19. Dixie scored to put the lead back at 4 after this but Hayes and Rice would lead a 6-2 run to tie the game at 25 apiece. It went back and forth from here for the rest of the quarter but 4 points by Peterson in the last 2 minutes helped put Holmes on top 33-32 heading in to the half.

 

Third quarter Dixie came out firing and went on a 6-0 run to take a 38-33 lead, but as Holmes had done all game, they answered. Hayes scored 4 straight for the Dogs and then Rice had another big two hand dunk in traffic to tie the score at 41-41. Dixie went on a mini 4-0 run to take a 45-41 lead and then 47-43 lead, but a Peterson basket with time winding down helped propel the Dogs in to the 4th down just 2 at 47-45.

 

Fourth quarter would be all Holmes. Dixie got a free throw and basket to put them on top 50-45 but 4 straight free throws by sophomore Palmer got Holmes back to within 1 at 50-49 with 5:40 left in the game. This is when Jaleel Gray would take over and lead a 10-0 run by the Dogs. He scored 6 straight for Holmes to put them on top 55-50 with 3:50 remaining. Hassel of Dixie got a 3 pointer out of a Dixie timeout to close the gap to 2 with 2:05 remaining but Holmes would seal the deal on the next possession as Jaleel Gray once again came up with another big bucket to extend the lead back to 4. Holmes got a few rebounds off misses and got 5 free throws from Gray, Rice, and Knox down the stretch to seal the deal. When it was all said and done, Gray had scored 10 of his 17 in the 4th quarter. Trammel got an uncontested lay up as time expired to give you the final of 62-58.

 

Holmes won this game by dominating the Colonels on the boards. Not sure of the exact numbers but Rice had to have been close to a double-double. I'd say both Peterson and Knox both had atleast 5 boards as well. Holmes did a great job of attacking the 1-3-1 zone of Dixie and getting easy baskets around the rim. Key for the Dogs was the 15-3 run down the stretch to close out any chances Dixie had of winning.

 

Hatton had an uncharacteristic off shooting night, but I'm not sure he's use to seeing defense close out on him as quickly as Holmes did when he appeared to have open shots. Stansberry showed a very nice mid range game and Trammel did a nice job creating for his teammates.

 

All in all, an extremely impressive win by the Dogs considering how bad they played last week. That should be attributed to the Holmes coaching staff. They were able to help these kids get over the loss of starting pg Mayfield, and now have them playing extremely well. Should be a fun few weeks to end the regular season.

 

Nice analysis of the flow of the game. Spot on. Great effort by both teams in a great game. I really liked how the Bulldogs continued to answer throughout, keeping the game within reach. I liked how they played solid team ball and stayed focused even through the adversity of questionable calls. Made critical defensive stops at critical times and applied hot full court pressure late to retain advantage and edge. Nailed free throws in crunch time. I can't say enough about the whole team effort and great contribution by all players. It's exciting to watch Gray create his own shot with slick finesse and accuracy. Rice's dunk to tie it at 41-41 was huge and his presence throughout was outstanding. Great effort by Hayes, Peterson, Knox, & Palmer. This Bulldog bunch willed this win and would not be denied. Played smart after gaining the lead around the 5 minute mark in the 4th by controlling the clock and attacking the basket & drawing smart fouls and relentlessly answering to them at the line. I was very impressed by Dixie's whole bunch and their season is not over by any means. They've got game that can't be missed and the players that can take over. Hatton not connecting with his 3's was key and if they meet again and he still can't, I'll take the Dawgs again. A lot of the credit goes to the Bulldog's defense for limiting him. This Regional tourney is going to be serious. Like others have said, the bigger floor at the BOK may benefit the Dawgs, but so many good teams will have their say. I don't see any of the top 4 running away with it, but I feel that if the Bulldogs continue to play great team ball, play with the will they demonstrated here, and stay focused through adversity (which after seeing them a number of times this year it's obvious that Booher's lead has been invaluable in teaching patience and keeping their eye on the prize), this region is theirs to lose. They have a really good team, and for my money, play a more exciting brand of team ball then I've seen in any Bulldog team in years counting the 2009 champs. They may not exactly be considered 2011 state frontrunners, but when they're on with focused team ball, it's a thing of beauty that will give them a chance with any team they face. Even with a few recent losses of late, I think with them slamming the door on Scott and now making a statement with Dixie, the Bulldogs have turned a corner and have emphatically staked their claim as a team that is really starting to peak at the right time. This game showed their team growth, mentally and physically, only upping the ante. February has arrived and things are really heating up!

Pike must realize he can't pick up silly fouls when he is not defending. When his team misses a shot and he does not have the inside position, he just needs to retreat and get back on D. To often, he will try and swipe at the ball over someone's back and get called for a cheap foul. Can't afford those, especially in the big games. They need him on the court to be successful.

Tough loss for the Colonels....really nice game for the Dogs.

 

Dixie allowed too many second chance points.....(partly due to Pike playing less than half the game)

Turnovers didn't help the C's in this one either.

 

I thought Dixie's zone defense was effective.....the Dogs guards were just too quick offensively in man to man.

 

Holmes has shown when they bring their A game this season, they can play with anyone....maybe we'll get to see a rematch in a few weeks.

 

Holmes plays high above the rim. 16 points on put backs, my guess is the majority were not true rebounds, but tipped in.

Holmes plays high above the rim. 16 points on put backs, my guess is the majority were not true rebounds, but tipped in.

 

I have seen the Bulldogs play quite a few games and one interesting thing that I've heard people around me say was that the Holmes players go over the back on a lot of rebounds. Personally I thought that the reason that they were getting these rebounds were because they are such quick leapers. With the exception of Knox, the other players are all lean and quick and have excellent leaping ability including Chris Hayes. I also think the additional minutes that Peterson will get now that Mayfield has been lost will help them as well. He is tall and lean and also an excellent leaper. Coach Booher can go to a really quick lineup with Rice, Peterson, Gray, Hayes and Palmer on the floor at the same time. They will need to find some minutes for a few others off the bench but this team could surprise some teams.

Unfortunately you could've said that about ALOT of Holmes teams in both football and basketball over the past 30 years. I'd say they've got a good shot however me personally I wouldn't say this game dislodges Dixie as the favorite, I'd just say it shows that the 9th is still pretty wide open heading into February.

 

I think it was Colonelcrazy that said it best when he said "Holmes if always good, and often great." This year is no different.

 

As far as this game dislodging Dixie as the #1 team, I myself even said that I'd be very surprised if they fell out of the top spot.

Rice finished with 11 pts, 9 rbs.

 

Hayes finished with 16 pts, 8 rbs.

 

Holmes out-rebounded Dixie 40-24. Ball Game.

I have seen the Bulldogs play quite a few games and one interesting thing that I've heard people around me say was that the Holmes players go over the back on a lot of rebounds. Personally I thought that the reason that they were getting these rebounds were because they are such quick leapers. With the exception of Knox, the other players are all lean and quick and have excellent leaping ability including Chris Hayes. I also think the additional minutes that Peterson will get now that Mayfield has been lost will help them as well. He is tall and lean and also an excellent leaper. Coach Booher can go to a really quick lineup with Rice, Peterson, Gray, Hayes and Palmer on the floor at the same time. They will need to find some minutes for a few others off the bench but this team could surprise some teams.

 

Speaking of Coach Booher and the bench, I think it should be noted how much he has developed guys like Palmer, Coston, and Amison.

 

If you saw them at the beginning of the year and seen them today, they are all three completely different guys. Coston and Amison went from being buried at the end of the bench to seeing significant minutes in big games. Palmer has went from a shaky pg that needed to work on his ball handling, to starting for the Dogs and playing like a seasoned veteran.

 

The future is bright for the Dogs. Palmer, Coston, Peterson, Knox, and Rice is going to be a very good starting 5 next year.

Rice finished with 11 pts, 9 rbs.

 

Hayes finished with 16 pts, 8 rbs.

 

Holmes out-rebounded Dixie 40-24. Ball Game.

 

I agree....that was a big part of their success.

If they meet again, I hope Pike can stay on the floor.

Stansberry rolling his ankle in the 2nd qtr didn't help things either...he was noticeably hobbling in the 4th qtr.

 

The Dogs certainly play above the rim and had many nice tips and dunks.

I agree....that was a big part of their success.

If they meet again, I hope Pike can stay on the floor.

Stansberry rolling his ankle in the 2nd qtr didn't help things either...he was noticeably hobbling in the 4th qtr.

 

The Dogs certainly play above the rim and had many nice tips and dunks.

 

8 of Rice 11 points came off either a dunk or tip in.