By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
SPRING GARDEN – One of the things the Spring Garden Panther basketball team has emphasized in the off-season is developing more outside shots in order to add another dimension to the Panther offense.
So far this season, those outside shots are falling, and in turn, it’s also helping the inside production of the Welsh twins, John and Jacob.
On Thursday night against Sand Rock, senior guard Noah Barber’s outside shooting in the fourth quarter extended the Wildcat defense just enough to allow senior post John Welsh to work more productively inside the paint. He scored a game-high 25 points in the Class 1A No. 4 Panthers’ 67-57 victory.
“Noah, Connor (Bates) and JB (Jaylen Brown), they can all make shots, and they’re helping Jacob and me get points in the paint,” John Welsh said. “Coach (Levi) Hatcher is always telling us if we get work inside it will open up the outside, and it’s the same way on the opposite side. If we keep making shots, it’s going to open them up.”
“If you want to soften up the middle, then you’ve got to hit some outside shots,” Hatcher said. “It does create more driving lanes. It does create more one-on-one in the post. We always want the ball to touch the paint. We prefer the ball to touch the paint, but if we’re going to kick out for shots, those are great shots. We work on those all the time.”
None of those outside shots were bigger than Barber’s in the fourth quarter. He finished with 13 points.
Class 2A No. 8 Sand Rock (8-6) had gotten to within six points of the Panthers (9-0) at 52-46 following a basket by Cam Gifford with 5:32 remaining in the game, but Barber then sank back-to-back treys to push the Panther lead out to 10 at 58-48.
Barber’s 3-pointers extended the Wildcat defense more on the perimeter, and John Welsh took advantage. He scored nine of his points in the fourth quarter.
“(Barber) bowed up and hit a couple back-to-back,” Hatcher said. “What that also allows us to do is once he hit a couple we can then put him into some alt-ball action, either to force them to switch on to a post or run him off a screen and shift the defense some. It kind of calmed us down when they made a little bit of a run.”
Sand Rock coach Nick Traffanstedt said Thursday night’s game against Spring Garden “helped us grow up tonight.”
“Spring Garden gives you problems in more than just one area. You’ve got to really be a good defensive team to guard them,” Traffanstedt said.“I knew if they started hitting threes we were going to have to help a little bit. When they started hitting threes we really couldn’t stunt over as hard as we’d really like to on (John) Welsh. He’s really good getting downhill. That’s his game, and those guys outside are shooting the ball a whole lot better than they were last year. It’s really tough guarding them because you really can’t give any stunt help to the backside of the ball side.”
After spotting Sand Rock a pair of early 3-pointers from Ty Traffanstedt and Jonas Browder, the Panthers went on a 16-0 run in the first quarter to take a 16-6 lead.
The Wildcats battled back to make it an 18-14 game after one and trailed 29-24 at halftime. Spring Garden extended its lead to 46-36 after three before withstanding another couple of Sand Rock runs in the fourth for the final.
“They would make some runs, but I was proud of our guys and how they answered,” Hatcher said. “I think they’re hungry. They’ve been playing well, and they’re playing well together.”
Bates collected 14 points for Spring Garden. Jacob Welsh posted with points and 11 boards. Brown finished with five points
Gifford led Sand Rock with 17 points, five assists, four rebounds and a steal. Jonas Browder connected on four 3-pointers, including three in the fourth quarter. He had 15 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists. Ty Traffanstedt tallied 10 points, four boards, four assists and a steal. Will Cleere delivered eight points and six rebounds. Wyatt Miller finished with four points, 12 rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Both teams will now play in the Alabama ONE Cherokee Basketball Classic. Sand Rock takes on Vincent at noon on Saturday at Cherokee County High School, followed by Spring Garden and Fyffe at 1:30 p.m.
