“This is our first game with referees since last February,” said Beech basketball head coach Kip Brown on Tuesday. There’s no better way than that to describe how long and unusual the 2020 high school offseason has been.
For his team, that long layoff ended with a 60-48 loss at Northeast.
Both schools’ football teams are still alive in the state title chase, and therefore both hoops teams went into the game short-handed – but the Buccaneers were hit a bit harder.
“I was extremely proud of the guys that did play,” Brown said. “They competed; they fought their butts off. Northeast is probably the best team in Clarksville and one of the best teams in the Midstate, and I thought that we competed and fought, and I was proud of the way that we handled ourselves and kept playing.”
The win marked the second straight season that the Eagles beat Beech to start their year as part of a state championship pursuit. They fell just short of qualifying for state in March, losing to Hillsboro on a buzzer-beater in substate.
Their offense faltered in the second quarter on Tuesday, scoring just eight points after taking a 14-4 advantage in the first. Part of that can be attributed to star forward Isaiah Farrior being in foul trouble for most of the night, though he still finished with 10 points.
Keaton Allen carried the load for Northeast, scoring 14 of his team-high 19 points in the second half to help the Eagles pull away and keep their lead for the entire game. Jalen Hooks and Jaylen Miller each added 12 points.
Beech’s Braden Brinkley scored 22 points, doing most of his damage with a scorching 16-point fourth quarter. Despite the loss, Brown and the Buccaneers were happy to get an early-season look at a high-powered team – even if they weren’t at full strength.
“It was very important just to get out there, play somebody else, especially a good team,” Brown said. “You only get better when you play good teams, win or lose. It’s a measuring stick for us. Go back to practice with something to build upon.”
The Buccaneers will look to get their first win on Monday, Nov. 23 against Harpeth while Northeast returns to the court on Saturday, Nov. 21 against Brentwood.
BOX SCORE
Northeast (60): Keaton Allen 19, Jaylen Miller 12, Jalen Hooks 12, Isaiah Farrior 10, Marcus Averhart 7.
Beech (48): Braden Brinkley 22, Kristian Shaw 14, Bradley Wheeler 6, Luke Fleming 4, Luke Sinnard 2.
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