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By: Brian Smith

A Jordan Johnson 3-pointer was the dagger with 3:15 remaining giving visiting LaFayette a commanding 49-34 lead over rival and district host Lanett before going on to win 57-49 in the area final. It’s what happened leading up to the final stretch run that catapulted Bulldogs emotionally.

An altercation right in front of the scorer’s bench took place at the 5:06 mark of the fourth quarter. Players were in each other’s faces while coaches and administrators helped end the fracas. After tempers settled down (somewhat), LaFayette took it to the hosts for the next two minutes of play to put the game away.

There was one other prime reason that LaFayette defeated Lanett: shooting. It was not even close as to which team could knock down more open shots.

It was all but a given that LaFayette’s bevy of shooters would nail more triples than Lanett, and that happened. But is was the charity stripe that truly cost Lanett. The Panthers hit just 21 of 41 from the free throw line. Beyond Lanett’s shooting woes, there were several ebbs and flows to a very physical and foul-prone game.

Johnson’s second 3-point bucket at the 4:57 mark of the first quarter gave LaFayette a commanding 8 to 1 lead. Lanett came right back. Terrell Staples hit Lanett’s first shot from the field with 4:13 to play in the first, and later tied the game at 8-all with a free throw. At the end of one quarter of play, LaFayette led 10-8.

For most of the second quarter, both teams utilized zone defenses and moved their feet well to help close out on shooters, but not always. A 3-ball went down for LaFayette’s Kamare Harrington with 50 seconds remaining in the first half to help his team go up 22 to 16. Then Lanett’s Fred Broughton came right back with a 3-point make of his own. At halftime, LaFayette led 22-19.

Broughton canned another triple early in the third quarter to tie it up at 24-all, but that’s when LaFayette started getting to the rim in transition and passing the basketball better. Johnson hit big man Jayden Thomason underneath and he connected on a short floater to give the Bulldogs a 32-27 lead. Harrington followed with another bomb and Amilleon Huguley connected on a short shot.

Just like that, LaFayette was up 37-28. After three quarters, LaFayette led 39-30 and never saw the game get down to two possessions.

For LaFayette, Harrington led all scorers with 15, Johnson had 12, and Cameron Thomas 8. For Lanett, Broughton knocked in 13, Shamar Patterson added 12, and Reiontae Zeigler finished with 11.