Star News

tkreager@dnj.com

MURFREESBORO -- Siegel gave Beech fits with its high-intensity fullcourt defense Tuesday night.

But Beech's length won out in the end. Beech defeated the Stars 62-50 in a non-district boys basketball contest at Siegel High.

"Their size had a lot to do with our guys mentally," Siegel coach Ben Dotson said. "We weren't going to back down. We thought we were in a good position with our press. I thought the longer we stayed in our press the more it would wear them down."

It didn't wear the Bucs down enough.

Beech (8-2) opened the second half on an 8-0 run and never let the Stars (4-5) regain control. It was the breathing room the Bucs needed against Siegel's suffocating defense that produce numerous turnovers.

"We had a lot of pressure on them and kept it on them," Siegel guard Dominique Gooch said. "We should have kept it on them like we had the first half during the entire game."

Gooch led Siegel with 10 points. Aden Burton had nine points -- all off fourth-quarter 3-pointers. Siegel hit six of its seven treys in the fourth quarter to keep the Stars within striking distance.

Siegel hit just 1 of 14 3-pointers in the first half and didn't get many second-half shots against Beech's taller lineup.

"You go out there and you think you have to shoot it high because they are so long and they come out so far in their 1-3-1," said Siegel senior Treyton Harris, who had seven points. "They got a lot of length."

Beech pulled away in the fourth quarter. Seth Brown's layup gave the Bucs a 48-38 lead with 4:38 left. Siegel soon received a technical for having six players on the court and Nathan Hansen hit 1 of 2 free throws. But Hansen then completed a three-point play after scoring off an acrobatic shot in the lane to push it to 52-38.

Beech finished the game with four players in double figures. Brown led all scorers with 15. Hansen had 13, Toby Lee had 11 and Justin Coleman added 10.

tkreager@dnj.com

MURFREESBORO -- Siegel lost its size to graduation after last season.

The Stars found their speed.

Siegel whipped Franklin 67-42 in a home non-district boys basketball contest Friday night behind its tenacious full-court defense and hot-shooting from point guard Treyton Harris.

Harris, a senior, led all scorers with 22 points. He had 19 in the first half and finished with four 3-pointers.

"We're a lot smaller, but we get up the court better than we did last year," Harris said. "We've got more speed and more guards so we can press all game."

Siegel (3-3) touted a lineup full of lengthy athletes last year, including two over 6-foot-8 in Cedrick Williams and Stephen Hurt.

But with both graduated and in college, the smaller Stars showed they can win another way. Siegel's defense held Franklin (4-3) to 2 of 13 shooting in the second quarter to allow the Stars to grab a 35-22 lead at halftime. And it only got larger in the third quarter as Franklin's shooting woes continued.

"Franklin is a well-coached team and is very disciplined," Siegel coach Ben Dotson said. "You've got to go out and beat them. We knew if we could get them tired and make them use their bench, and make decisions when they are tired, we'd be in good shape."

Siegel's pressure defense was a controlled intensity. The Stars played within their means for the most part. Dotson said that's a tribute to the Stars' point-guard play.

"We've got three great point guards -- Treyton Harris, Ryan Jones and Robert Brandon," Dotson said. "They've got a pulse of what's going on.

"But we want to run and gun the whole game."

Damien Clark added 11 points for the Stars. And Charles Clark had eight. The entire Siegel bench played and 11 players scored.

Kyle Tackett led Franklin with 10 points. Colson Patton and Hunter Nelson added nine apiece, hitting three 3-pointers each.

"We're not that big this year," said Damien Clark, a 6-foot-5 post. "We're quicker than any other team. Our game this year is just running the floor and layups, layups, layups."

-- Tom Kreager, 615-278-5168

Siegel 67, Franklin 42

Franklin17 5 5 15 -- 42

Siegel21 14 16 16 -- 67

Franklin: Henry 4, Patton 9, Nelson 9, Mattos 5, Wright 1, Bills 2, Tackett 10, Mathews 2.

Siegel: Harris 22, Brandon 4, C. Clark 8, Gooch 3, Jones 2, Martin 4, Miller 2, Simpson 2, Walton 4, Burton 5, D. Clark 11.