Bartow coach Terrence McGriff knows what it takes to make it to the Final Four. He should, the Yellow Jackets have won four state titles.
That’s why, way back in the summer, when he got a good look at his team, he knew they would end the season in Lakeland.
And after a 64-49 victory over Melbourne in the Class 7A state semifinals, Bartow will get a shot at No. 5. The Yellow Jackets will play for the 7A title on Saturday at 5 p.m. live only on BHSN Channel 47 or HD 1147.
“The kids made leaps and bounds because of their character and work ethic,” McGriff said.
And they got better defensively as the season went on. That stingy defense was on full display against Melbourne, a team used to setting the tone.
Both teams set a scrappy tone in the first quarter where they exchanged the lead five times and tied twice. Melbourne sophomoreLogan Folsom scored nine of his team-high 14 points in the opening quarter. The Bulldogs closed out the first on a 4-0 run, capped off by Austin Awd’s steal/layup for a 16-14 lead.
“I figured we were going to be in a shootout and we’ve got to find a way to shut them down,” McGriff said.
They almost shut them out in the second quarter. Tony Bradley scored six-straight points to open the second quarter and sparked a 14-3 Yellow Jackets run that prompted two Melbourne timeouts and ignited the pro-Bartow crowd.
“The second quarter was the difference,” McGriff said.
Melbourne shot only 2-of-16 in the second quarter as Bartow pulled away. Ryan Marshall’s two three pointers were the only points for the Bulldogs in that quarter.
“I think they sped us up a little bit and we didn’t get the looks we got in the first quarter,” Melbourne coach Michael Solivensaid.
The Bulldogs defense stepped up a bit in the third, holding Bartow scoreless for nearly three minutes near the end of the quarter. Melbourne was able to cut the lead to six before Bartow’s Derrick Brooks’ buzzer beater at the end of the quarter ended the Yellow Jackets scoreless run for a 44-36 lead.
Then Bartow opened the fourth with five straight points to build a double-digit lead they never relinquished.
“Bartow took us out of our game,” Soliven said. “Credit them. They played excellent.”
Deyontre Jordan led the Yellow Jackets with 20 points, while Bradley added 18 and 10 rebounds. Besides Folsom, Awd (10 points) was the only other Bulldog in double digits.