Patriots’ fourth-quarter flurry too much for Wolverines in WHC opener

Save for a four-minute stretch of the fourth quarter, Polk County more than held its own Friday with Madison.

That stretch, though, proved fatal for the Wolverines, who saw Madison build a 14-point lead and go on to take a 66-52 victory in the Western Highlands Conference opener for both teams at Polk.

Madison (2-4, 1-0) clung to a 43-42 lead entering the fourth period, having done much of its scoring to that point inside. But the Patriots suddenly sizzled from the outside for the opening segment of the final period, drilling three 3-pointers in four possessions to turn that one-point lead into a 56-46 margin with 5:03 left in the game.

Two more baskets pushed the lead to 60-46 before two Arnie Twitty free throws stopped the run.

“In a tough game like that, a little stretch might decide the game,” said Polk County head coach Josh McEntire. “For us, that stretch in the fourth quarter where they hit three threes in four possessions, that made the difference.

“Then we had to play catchup, and with this team at this point, we’re not in the kind of shape to do that.”

The first three quarters were filled with small surges for both teams. Polk County (0-6, 0-1) led 7-2 early, but Madison rallied to take a 14-11 lead at the end of the first. The teams swapped baskets throughout much of the second period before the Patriots closed with a flurry to take a 31-27 halftime edge.

Madison pushed that margin to nine, 38-29, with 4:55 left in the third period. But a Jason Chupp three-point play began a Polk comeback, with Twitty hitting four free throws, then Jamal Wheeler sandwiching a dunk and layup around a Davis Derkach basket to even the score at 42-42 with 1:29 left in the third. That rally, though, would be as close as the Wolverines would get, even with Madison’s woeful 2-of-11 effort at the foul line in the fourth quarter.

“We played great for three quarters,” McEntire said. “The energy, the effort, the attitude, you can’t ask for more. We have yet to have a practice with 10 varsity players together, and that tells you how young we are and how inexperienced we are.

“But we played with effort and intensity the whole game. Give Madison credit. They hit a couple of open shots and then made a three with a man right in their face. They made the shots and we didn’t.”

Wheeler had 16 points to lead Polk, which also got 10 points from Chupp and Wes Mullis, who had an effective game inside for the Wolverines.

Polk County is back in action Tuesday, traveling to T.C. Roberson for a non-conference game.

Polk County Scoring
Jamal Wheeler 16, Jason Chupp 10, Wes Mullis 10, Arnie Twitty 9, Holden Owens 3, Davis Derkach 2, Jaylan Wilkins 2