Concord has a knack for jumping all over opponents in the first quarter and cruising to the end. Pirate Coach Keith Cornett would like to see his team play with as much intensity in the final three quarters as the first eight minutes.
The dilemma for Cornett could be worse considering Concord rolled to a 67-43 victory over the Plainview-Rover Panthers Wednesday night in a game that was never in doubt. With the victory, Concord advances to play the winner of Sacred Heart and Rural Special on Friday at 8:30 p.m. in Greers Ferry.
“We started off good again and kind of coasted from there on out. We didn’t play very well tonight I didn’t think,” said Cornett. “I give Plainview a lot of credit. They played hard and have a lot of young kids. We didn’t play with a lot of energy.”
In the first 34 seconds, Concord took a 5-0 lead as Aaron Hegarty scored off the opening tip with an assist from Tim Fuller and Fuller nailed a 3-pointer from left elbow off an assist from Chase Thomas, causing the Panthers to call for timeout.
Tyler Ray Smith scored underneath to get Plainview on the scoreboard but Fuller swiped a steal and finished and moments later he converted another steal into a floater while Plainview managed a free throw.
Fuller turned a steal by Derek Burnett into a layup then Fuller swiped his fourth steal in less than four minutes and scored. Thomas grabbed an offensive rebound over several players and hit a bank shot then he snared a defensive rebound and drove coast-to-coast for another bucket, giving the Pirates a 15-3 lead entering the second quarter.
After Zak Ellis made a jumper for Plainview, Thomas hit a pull up jumper from right elbow, pushing Concord’s lead to 19-5 entering the second quarter.
Hegarty came away with a steal and layup to begin the second but Tyler Solley hit a floater in the lane before Thomas responded with a turnaround jumper from the free throw line, plus contact. Thomas completed the 3-point play then he made another turnaround jumper in the lane and Dylan Shelley sliced through the heart of the Panthers’ defense for a layup while Plainview managed a free throw.
Samuel Frolic added two more free throws and Lane Frost canned a 19-foot jumper from right elbow but Hegarty fired back with a leaner, plus the foul and he completed the 3-point play, giving Concord a 31-12 lead.
But Frost responded with a 3-pointer and Ronald Torres added another trey while Fuller drilled a 3-pointer from left corner as the first half ended with a scoring flurry that left Concord leading, 34-18.
Frost opened the third quarter with a deep 3-pointer from right wing but Concord scored the next eight as Burnett powered up for two from left block off a bounce pass from Hegarty then Thomas made a smooth spin from the right block, giving the Pirates a 38-21 lead.
Fuller came up with a steal and scored off an assist from Thomas then Thomas found Shelley in transition for another bucket but Plainview countered with five straight before Slade Stormont grabbed a loose ball and scored inside, extending Concord’s lead to 44-26 going into the final eight minutes of play.
Thomas got the Pirates started in the fourth with a hanging jumper following a steal from Logan King but Smith answered with a driving layup before Fuller bombed a 3-pointer from right wing.
After Plainview scored four straight, Thomas converted a 3-point play and King hit a foul shot then Burnett sank a midrange jumper from left baseline off an inbounds play. Plainview scored four more consecutive points but Thomas got a stick back before Solley sliced through the middle of the lane and finished with a finger roll.
Concord used a 6-0 run to push its lead to 63-38 as Burnett scored from right block and Thomas got a putback before Shelley made two from the stripe. Frost countered with a 3-pointer from left elbow but DJ Wood hit a pull up jumper on a fast break then Ryan Cornelison swiped a steal and scored. Frolic got a stick back to set the final at 67-43.
Frost led Plainview (7-23) in its final game with 13 points and Solley followed with 12. Thomas scored a game-high 22 points for the Pirates (30-5), while Fuller added 19 and Hegarty had seven.
Concord needs a win in tonight’s semifinal or the consolation finals on Saturday to qualify for next week’s state tournament at Hillcrest High School in Lynn.
