By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
KANNAPOLIS ó A.L. Brown’s ‘B’ team played its ‘A’ game in a 67-65 win against South Rowan’s boys at Bullock Gym.
The Wonders, still involved in the football playoffs, had only three of their projected top 12 available Tuesday.
The bad news for South was Demarcus “Smoke” Phifer and any four guys in white jerseys would have been a worthy opponent.
Phifer scored 32 points, firing from an assortment of angles and area codes. He made one 3-pointer while chatting with fans in the front row.
South point guard Hunter Morrison scored 24 points, including 11 in the frantic final minute as the foul-plagued Raiders tried to rally.
At times, B.J. Grant overwhelmed the Wonders inside with his leaping ability. He scored 16.
“When we got here, you could see those Kannapolis kids had doubt in their eyes, but we didn’t make free throws early, let them hang around, and then they started believing,” South coach John Davis said. “They were kids with something to prove, maybe their first chance on varsity, and they wanted to show they belonged.”
South knocked off Salisbury in its first outing, and Salisbury had blasted the patchwork Wonders in a scrimmage, so the Raiders were expected to win big. If there had been a line in Vegas, the Wonders would have been getting 20.
“We came in with the big head,” Morrison said. “They had a bunch of little jayvees playing, and I guess we expected to come out and chill and get an easy win. We didn’t play very smart, and they played with a lot more energy than we did. There are no easy wins.”
A.L. Brown coach Shelwyn Klutz and assistant James Allen had a roster filled with mysteries.
Klutz ran down the list with a sigh: “He was jayvee last year. He was cut from jayvees. He was in middle school. He never played anywhere.”
But Phifer was on the list. So was Jaques Deese, who played a bit of varsity ball last season. Deese scored 17. Chandler Reynolds got big rebounds. Ian Rogers made clutch free throws.
Phifer hit two 3s in the first quarter, but South took a 16-12 lead. The negative for South was Steven Johnson got into early foul trouble and wasn’t a factor.
South’s Addison Corriher owned the boards in the second quarter, and the Raiders took a 28-22 lead at halftime.
“But we’d made 12 turnovers in the first half,” Klutz said. We told the guys if we could cut the turnovers down we had a shot.”
In the third quarter, South shot 4-for-15, settling for 3-point attempts and failing to find Grant.
John Davis hit two 3s in the quarter for South, but Phifer scored 14 in the period.
His fallaway 3-pointer gave the Wonders a 34-31 lead, and he quickly added an old-fashioned three-point play and another 3-ball.By the end of the third, South Rowan trailed 46-38 and was in trouble.
“We wanted to double-team Phifer and get the ball out of his hands,” coach John Davis said. “We just didn’t get it done.”
South lost Reid Shaver on his fifth foul with 6:11 to go. A floater by Deese gave the Wonders their biggest lead at 51-40 with 5:21 left to play.
Quiet in the third quarter, Morrison took over late. South lost guard John Davis to five fouls down the stretch, but Morrison’s driving layup cut the Wonders’ lead to 65-63 with 18 seconds left.
The next possession was decisive, and the Wonders were able to get the ball in the hands of Phifer.
He bolted down the floor and dished to Rogers for a backbreaking layup and a four-point lead. Morrison’s hanger at the buzzer dropped, but South fell by two.
“This was one of those that’ll make your hair fall out,” coach John Davis said.
SOUTH ROWAN (65) ó Morrison 24, Grant 16, Corriher 6, Davis 6, Walker 4, S.Johnson 3, Shaver 3, Houston 3, Bowles.A.L. BROWN (67) ó Phifer 32, Deese 17, Rogers 10, Fesperman 4, Reynolds 2, Watts 2, Knox, Jones.S. Rowan 16 12 10 27 ó 65
A.L. Brown 12 20 24 21 ó 67