What was a roller coaster 9-6 season for the Millbrook Freshman Team, ended on a very high note as the Wildcats beat Garner for the first time in four tries, 80-72.
The Freshman Trojans entered undefeated on the season, having already topped the Wildcats 58-39 at Garner, 54-44 in the Southern Alamance Holiday Hoops Classic Championship Game, and 73-54 just a week prior to Monday afternoon's rematch at Millbrook. Head Coach, Gary Nobles' plan was to give everybody a chance to play significant minutes in the season finale, and top to bottom, his team impressed.
From the tip, Collin Davis got a score, and Khalid Hines' defense forced a Garner turnover that the Wildcats would convert into another Davis basket. It was Hines who made another big play on defense as he took his fourth charge of the season to give Millbrook the ball right back to help extend their game opening 6-0 run. Davis and Leaston would lead the first quarter charge with 11 of Millbrook's 22 points in the opening frame. Phillip Burwell would get in on the fun too with a three, a free throw, and a basket.
Millbrook had one of their first significant leads of the season against the Trojans after one at 22-10 but 6'6 Todd Burt was too much to handle in the second stanza as his 8 points helped erase a twelve point deficit, and turn it into a 44-38 halftime lead. Burt, along with the Wildcats' Justin Leaston led all scorers at the half with 10 points apiece.
To pull off a marquee victory, you need an assortment of unexpected contributors, enter Jadon Olson. The 5'10 guard had averaged 1.6 points per game in the first three games against Garner. Not only did he out do that total with 6 first half points, he tacked on another 9 in the second half for a team high 15. It was the first time that Olson had scored more than 5 points in a game all season. Pierre Cross added 13 second half points including a pair of three's that would help Millbrook take a 53-50 lead into the fourth quarter. Cross' 13 points matched Burwell's 13, and they would finish third in scoring on the night after Justin Leaston got two more baskets to fall to wrap up his 14 point night. Camaron Womble's 3 points, along with Collin Davis' 10, and Khalid Hines 6 would be an instrumental part in putting the icing on the cake with an 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter.
The win stops a two game skid for the Wildcats and ends their season with a record of 9-6.