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By: Brian Smith

Lanett’s 57-51 road win over Dadeville was sparked by a second half defensive effort that completely changed the rhythm of the basketball game. Head coach Tay McCants discussed the key adjustment.

“I really wanted to put pressure on them in the beginning,” McCants commented on his early-game emphasis trap. “They had two guys knocking down threes. So I couldn’t stay in the zone trap because they were penetrating and kicking (out to open shooters) a lot. So we went to the 3-2 (zone) and tried to contain the perimeter (during the second half).”

It worked. Dadeville scored 33 points in the first half, but Lanett’s active 3-2 zone held Dadeville to only 18 points during the second half. Further, Dadeville drilled six 3-point shots during the first half; only four were made in the second half.

Off the bench, an offensive spark came from Lanett sophomore guard Mike McCants. He scored 13 to lead the Panthers but that wasn’t his most important asset. His speed and ball handling kept Dadeville off balance. Due to McCants, his teammates received several open looks from behind the arc and at the rim.

Down 33 to 27 at halftime, the third quarter saw Lanett take the momentum and the lead with McCants at the helm. He knocked down a 3-point shot from the top of the key, and the next possession saw him convert a high pick-and-roll for a layup to close the gap to 36-34 with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter.

Two minutes later, Fred Broughton knocked down a 3-point shot of his own to give Lanett a 41-38 lead. Dadeville did not go away, as Jay Burns buried a triple and the Tigers went into the fourth quarter up 44-42. At that point, the Lanett offense had another player make plays.

Shamar Patterson hit a triple with a defender in his face to close to within one point, and then got out on the break and banked in a layup after picking up a loose ball. The second basket placed Lanett up 47-46, a lead Lanett never relinquished. That’s when the Panthers defense came alive again like it did in the third quarter.

Dadeville worked very hard for open looks and appeared flustered with not getting any easy shots from downtown. With the Tigers struggling, Lanett’s energy went up and it translated to their own offensive end. Lanett was more efficient afterward, connecting on multiple backdoor cuts for easy buckets; the defense truly sparked the offense.

The 3-2 zone caused Dadeville to throw it away with just over two minutes remaining and again with just over a minute and a half to play. Made free throws by Eddie Mitchell, McCants, and Jeramiah McGilberry helped seal the victory.

Lanett’s offensive scoring leaders after McCants’ 13 were Mitchell with 12, Patterson and Broughton with 10, and McGilberry with 9.

Next up for Lanett is a home game against East Coweta on Dec. 3.