Struggling to finish out close games in recent weeks, the Sequoyah Chiefs delivered the type of performance their coach had been looking for.
Leading by just three midway through the fourth quarter, the Chiefs took care of the ball and converted 12-of-15 free throws down the stretch to hold off visiting Northwest Whitfield, 72-64, Friday night, in Hickory Flat.
“We’re still learning how to finish, and this was the first step,” Sequoyah Head Coach Jeremy Adams said. “It’s all part of the maturation process. I told our guys if they keep giving us this type of effort, we’re going to be a tough out come tournament time.”
After falling to the Bruins on the road in early January, the Chiefs (12-11) wasted little time grabbing the early momentum, as senior Yousiff Abdullah put the first points on the board with a three-point play, 38 seconds into the contest, and Sequoyah opened with a 9-2 run.
(LEFT: Blaine White (10) prepares to pass the ball up-court during Sequoyah’s 72-64 win over visiting Northwest Whitfield Friday night, in Hickory Flat. White, who scored a career-high 19 points in the Chiefs’ loss to Cass on Jan. 24, was one of four Sequoyah players to score 14 or more against Northwest, dropping in 12 of his 15 points in the second half. Photo by Brandon Michea | Ledger-News)
Although Northwest managed to slim the gap down to three by quarter’s end, the Chiefs used seven-straight points from junior Brandon Ingleton to spark a 13-4 spurt to start the second frame and extended their advantage to 35-27 by the break.
The Bruins continued to push back in the second half, cutting the deficit to six early in the third and to three midway through the fourth. But for every Northwest surge, Sequoyah had the answer, avenging their loss in Tunnel Hill.
“I thought we played very hard against a team that plays extremely hard,” Adams said. “I knew we were going to have to match [Northwest’s] intensity level if we were going to have any chance; and we did that from the git-go.”
Knocking down 6-of-7 free throw attempts in the fourth, Solomon Ajose charted a team-high 20 points and added four assists to pace a balanced Sequoyah attack. Adding to the Chiefs’ success, Abdullah recorded his third double-double in five games, posting a season-high 17 points and 10 boards, while Blaine White went off for 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists, and Ingleton finished with 14 points and eight boards.
Complementing the win over the Bruins, Sequoyah pulled back to .500 (6-6) in Region 7AAAA play with a 59-49 victory over visiting Forsyth Central on Saturday.
Ajose again led the team, scoring a game-high 25 to go along with seven rebounds and four steals, while Ingleton posted 16 points and eight rebounds, and Abdullah finished with nine points and four rebounds.
The back-to-back wins came on the heels of a tough-luck loss for the Chiefs on Jan. 24.
Leading by a pair after three, Sequoyah let one slip away on the road, suffering a 64-56 defeat at the hands of Cass.
Pacing the squad, White scored a career-high 19 points and added five rebounds and three steals. Ingleton, meanwhile, went for 11 points and 18 boards, and Ajose posted 17 points and five assists.
Entering the week tied for fifth in the region with Cass, which lost a 55-54 decision at Sequoyah in December, the Chiefs have two regular season games remaining – Friday against Rome (4-18, 0-11) at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at Lambert (14-8, 5-7) at 5:30 p.m.
With a win over fourth-ranked Chattahoochee (18-4, 11-1) on Saturday, No. 9 Woodland (21-1, 11-1) currently holds the tiebreaker over the Cougars for first in the region. Creekview (15-8, 11-2) sits in third, followed by Northwest (14-7, 7-4) in fourth.
