AISA ELITE EIGHT: Pike Liberal surprises Success Unlimited

Action from Wednesday’s AISA Elite Eight game between Success Unlimited and Pike Liberal Arts at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl. (By Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

Experience didn’t seem to play any role in Wednesday’s matchup between Pike Liberal Arts and Success Unlimited Academy.

The two teams were meeting in the Alabama Independent School Association’s state tournament and Pike Liberal fielded an inexperienced team of just two seniors while Success hoped last year’s trip to the state tournament would pay off for 10 seniors.

It looked that way early as the Mustangs rolled out to a 12-2 lead.

“We’re a basketball team that lives and dies by the 3-point shot and honestly, we were just not shooting the ball well,” Pike Liberal coach Allen Ponder said. “The great thing about this team is the veterans that were coming back (from last year’s team) didn’t let that affect them. They said eventually these shots are going to fall.”

Eventually, they did fall and when they didn’t, the Patriots used backdoor cuts to run out to a 54-40 win over Success and advance to Friday’s semifinals against defending state champion Bessemer.

“The guys just fell asleep on defense,” Success Unlimited coach Stacey Foster said. “The guys that I have, for the most part, have been on the sideline the last few years and now I’m putting them in starting positions. They didn’t react like I wanted them to. I don’t know if the moment was too big for them. We were there (in the correct defensive position) but everybody wanted to make that one defensive stop so you’d get three people charging at one guy instead of staying home.”

The Patriots weathered that early 10-point deficit and countered with a 15-2 run that put Pike Liberal in front at halftime, a great position for a team that was just warming up.

“We had to get used to playing on the same court (this season) with each other, we had to get used to the style of game that was going to make us successful,” Ponder said. “Once we did that, I think people started to see the end result. We’re a pretty good basketball team when we play hard.

“I’m very proud of my kids and their resiliency today against a very good basketball team that had us outsized and out-athleted at every position but my kids fought and battled.”

Foster, meanwhile, saw some of the same issues that has plagued his team in losses – most recently in a game at Pike Liberal two weeks ago – resurface as the Mustangs tried to rally in the second half.

“(The players) were probably looking ahead when we went up early and started taking some questionable shots and that took us out of the flow,” Foster said. “We didn’t overcome the things that have plagued us all year – boxing out, rebounding, communicating on defense, helping on defense, at least going 50-50 at the free-throw line, finishing at the rim. No matter what the referees do, if you do those little things you give yourself a chance.”

Foster wasn’t happy with the officials as his chief post player, 6-foot-8 Darrion Salery, was whistled for three charging calls that clearly affected Salery and seemed to take the fire of the Mustangs’ goal of getting the ball inside.

“It made everything extremely difficult for us,” Foster said. “I’m not saying our game plan was to just hammer it in because I have shooters as well, but that was a big part of our game plan, to get it down there and take advantage of our size. But a judgement call is a judgement call.”

Ponder credited his team’s defense in holding Salery to just two points.

“That’s one thing we’ve done a great job of all year long is defensively we’ve done a really good job of being in the right position to take the charges,” Ponder said. “The kids aren’t afraid to get run over. And any time you’re playing a team that has you that outsized as they did today, it’s big to get that ball in there and get those kids out of the game.”

Isaiah Jackson led Success (12-5) with 12 points, followed by Matthew Perkins with 11 and Calvin Martin with nine.

Nick O’Brien led Pike Liberal with 17 points, getting 12 of those on four 3-pointers. Drew Nelson added 14, going 6 of 6 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to thwart any Success rally. Javon Christian had 12 points and Austin Cross followed with 10, all in the second half.