Another BHS strong start, another Irish strong finish
BRISTOL — For the second time this season, Bearden’s boys quickly jumped out of the gate against Division II-AA power Knoxville Catholic in what might have been a battle of East Tennessee’s two top high school boys hoops teams.
Minus its top scorer, senior guard Elijah Bredwood, the Bulldogs (11-5) nonetheless zoomed ahead 33-21 less than three minutes into the second quarter with red-hot shooting during the seventh-place game of 38th Annual Arby’s Classic at Tennessee High Friday, Dec. 31.
Unlike its first meeting earlier this season at KCHS, where the Irish (12-3) overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to win 64-55, Catholic used a strong push to end the first half — a 16-0 run over a 5:30 span of the second quarter for a 37-33 halftime lead — then overcame Bearden’s 17-6 run during the first 5:30 of the third quarter to pull away in the final eight minutes.
A 23-2 run by the Irish during an eight-minute span found Catholic converting three consecutive steals to go up 68-54 with 2:11 to play, eventually winning 69-58.
KCHS star senior guard B.J. Edwards, a UT Vols signee, led all scorers with 26 points while also grabbing nine rebounds and three steals.
Junior guard Blue Cain added 23 points and three steals. Post Alex Doerger scored 13.
Bearden senior wing Darian Bailey scored 17 (10 rebounds). Junior guard Jake Poole also scored 17. Guard Nelson Karnowski added 10.
