4SHOT Hoops All-Star Brandon Reed scored 30 in the win over Greenforest Christian.

Decatur, GA - The Eagles from Greenforest Christian were 8:00 minutes away from pulling a big upset over the top-ranked Whitefield Academy Wolfpack and their fans felt it; but 4SHOT Hoops All-Stars Brandon Reed, Cameron Baskerville and the rest of the Wolfpack weren’t having it…not on this nitght.

There was no doubt that Greenforest was ready for this one, especially sophomores Joe Chase, Jamel Jones (who by the way look like shoe-ins to crack the 4SHOT Hoops list of top sophomores) and junior point guard Jonathan Merit (beeping on the 4SHOT Hoops radar screen). 

Jones scored two hoops midway through the first quarter to put the Eagles up 8-4; they made it 12-4 a few seconds later when Merit and Jimmy Gibson Jr. both scored lay-ups.

With 2:42 left in the quarter Brandon Reed entered the game for the Wolfpack but it didn’t affect the Eagles, at least not yet. Gibson’s three-pointer gave the Eagles their largest lead of the game 17-11 at the end of the first quarter.

Jamel Jones soars for 2 of his team high 23 points.

A pair of baskets by Reed put the Wolfpack up 30-29 with 3:37 left in the half. The Eagles would retake the lead 37-34 on a pair of free-throws by Jones. Reed hit a three-pointer right before the half to give Whitefield a 38-37 half lead.

The action was fast pace in the third quarter as the teams traded basket for basket. Reed added 8 more points to his total but the Wolfpack didn’t get much scoring from anyone else, Trey Miller and Chris Lovelace played tough defense but their offensive games were totally off tonight.

Whitefield's Carmon Baskerville and Greenforest's Marcus Ford battle for position in the paint.

Jones continued to get off for the Eagles and Chase got his second wind. I was real impressed with Merit and how he handled the Wolfpack’s pressure defense, which helped Greenforest take a 52-51 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Baskerville got into foul trouble in the forth quarter so the Wolfpack’s Head Coach Tyrone Johnson, who if you didn’t know is one of the top coaches in the state, turned to 6-5 freshman Kennard Backman. Backman who had done a great job on the boards started posting up inside and scored 6 big points as Whitefield took the lead.

A steal and lay-up by Aaron McCloud brought the Whitfield bench to their feet as the Wolfpack opened up a 66-59 lead. Backman’s put-back made it 72-61 a few moments later. Chase would cut the lead to 72-67 but that would be as close as the Eagles would get as Whitefield went on to a hard fought 78-68 win.


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Greenforest So.- Joe Chase looks to drive pass Whitefield So-Chris Lovelace.

Whitefield Academy: Brandon Reed scored a game high 30 points to pace the Wolfpack. Cameron Baskerville added 16 while Kennard Backman and Douglas German each finished with 8.
 
Greenforest Christian: Jamel Jones scored 23 to lead the Eagles. Joe Chase added 13 and Jonathan Merit finished with 8.