Barrish pours in 36 as Mikes rally past J-M
Carmichaels鈥� Chris Barrish takes a jump shot against Jefferson-Morgan during Friday night鈥檚 game at Carmichaels. Barish scored a game-high 36 points, including six 3-pointers, in the Mikes鈥� 81-68 win. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Carmichaels鈥� Michaels Stewart takes a shot in the lane as Jefferson-Morgan鈥檚 Colt Fowler (14) defends during Friday night鈥檚 game at Carmichaels. Stewart scored 14 points in the Mikes鈥� 81-68 win.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Carmichaels鈥� Drake Long drives to the basket as Jefferson-Morgan鈥檚 Jordan Jacobs defends during Friday night鈥檚 game at Carmichaels.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Jefferson-Morgan鈥檚 Tahjere Jacobs takes a jump shot in front of Carmichaels鈥� Chris Barrish during a game at Carmichaels on Feb. 12. On Wednesday night, Jacobs scored 23 points in a 61-57 loss to Chartiers-Houston, giving him exactly 1,000 for his career.
Carmichaels鈥� Chris Barrish (3) puts up a shot against Jefferson-Morgan during a game on Feb.12. Barrish, who scored a game-high 36 points, including six 3-pointers, in the Mikes鈥� 81-68 win, is the Greene County Messenger Boys Basketball Player of the Year. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Jefferson-Morgan鈥檚 Colt Fowler shots over Carmichaels鈥� Nate Swaney during Friday night鈥檚 game at Carmichaels. Fowler scored 24 points but the Mikes鈥� won, 81-68.
Jefferson-Morgan's Kijuan Paige (2) dribbles between Carmichaels' Tyler Richmond (5) and Dylan Rohrer (2) after making a steal in Friday night's game at Carmichaels.
Carmichaels' Drake Lone shots a 3-pointer from the corner against Jefferson-Morgan during Friday night's game at Carmichaels. Long scored 18 points, including three 3-pointers, in the Mikes' 81-68 win.
Carmichaels鈥� Chris Barrish (3) sends a pass out to a teammate after driving into the lane against Jefferson-Morgan during a game last season. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Jefferson-Morgan's Kijuan Paige (2) defends Carmichaels' Chris Barrish (3) during Friday night's game at Carmichaels.
Jefferson-Morgan's Colt Fowler his a shot in the lane during Friday night's game at Carmichaels. Fowler scored 24 points but the Mikes won, 81-68.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Carmichaels鈥� Drake Long (10) leads a fast break against Jefferson-Morgan during a game at Carmichaels on Feb. 12. Long is a member of the Greene County Messenger All-County Boys Basketball first team.
Carmichaels鈥� Michael Stewart puts up a shot while being defended by Jefferson-Morgan鈥檚 Troy Wright during agame at Carmichaels on Feb. 12. Stewart is a member of the Greene County Messenger All-County Boys Basketball first team. Wright was named honorable mention. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Jefferson-Morgan鈥檚 Tahjere Jacobs (1) drives to the basket while being defended by Carmichaels鈥� Drake Lone (10) during a game at Carmichaels on Feb. 12. Jacobs, the county鈥檚 leading scorer, and Long are both members of the Greene County Messenger All-County Boys Basketball first team.
Jefferson-Morgan鈥檚 Tahjere Jacobs (1) takes a swipe at the ball as Carmichaels鈥� Michael Stewart (24) looks to pass during Friday night鈥檚 game at Carmichaels. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Carmichaels鈥� Nate Swaney (44) scores inside against Jefferson-Morgan during Friday night鈥檚 game at Carmichaels.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Carmichaels鈥� Chris Barrish runs the offense against Jefferson-Morgan during Friday night鈥檚 game at Carmichaels.
Jefferson-Morgan's Troy Wright looks for a teammate while being pressured by Carmichaels' Drake Long (10) as the Mikes' Jackson Machesky (12) defends in the background during Friday night's game at Carmichaels.
Jefferson-Morgan's Tahjere Jacobs puts in a layup during Friday night's game at Carmichaels. Jacobs scored 25 points but the Mikes won, 81-68.
Jefferson-Morgan coach Dennis Garrett directs his team during Friday night's game at Carmichaels.
Rob Burchianti | 缅北禁地
Carmichaels coach Ian McCombs watches his team play Jefferson-Morgan during a game last season. McCombs is entering his third season with the Mikes.
Carmichaels' Dylan Rohrer (20) pressures Jefferson-Morgan's Tahjere Jacobs (1) while the Mikes' Tyler Richmond (5) and the Rockets' Kijuan Paige (2) close in during Friday night's game at Carmichaels.
Carmichaels鈥� Drake Long shots a 3-pointer in front of Jefferson-Morgan鈥檚 Troy Wright (22) during a game last season. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
Jefferson-Morgan coach Dennis Garrett tries to get his point across during a timeout in Friday night's game at Carmichaels.
Carmichaels coach Ian McCombs talks to his players during a timeout in a game against Jefferson-Morgan on Feb. 12. McCombs is the Greene County Messenger Boys Basketball Coach of the Year. The Mikes鈥� Chris Barrish (3) is the Player of the Year, while teammates Drake Long (10) and Michael Stewart (24) join Barrish on the GCM All-County First Team. (Photo by Rob Burchianti)
CARMICHAELS 鈥� Chris Barrish was held scoreless during the first quarter of Carmichaels鈥� game against Jefferson-Morgan on Friday night.
The junior guard more than made up for that over the final three periods.
Barrish poured in six 3-pointers in scoring a game-high 36 points and the Mikes roared back from a 12-point deficit to defeat the visiting Rockets, 81-68, in a Section 4-AA boys basketball battle.
鈥淐hris put on a display tonight,鈥� Carmichaels coach Ian McCombs said. 鈥淗e shot the ball really well.
鈥淲hen he鈥檚 on, he鈥檚 on. Anybody on this team will tell you that in practice. He鈥檚 a great player and he puts in the work. Chris plays basketball non-stop. He鈥檚 a smaller guy (5-foot-9) but he鈥檚 played against everybody, bigger guys, faster guys, and all that work and experience pays off.鈥�
The Mikes (3-3, 7-4) made 10 3-pointers, including three by Drake Long who scored 18 points. Michael Stewart added 14 points.
The Rockets (2-6, 5-8) soared to a 19-9 lead in the first quarter and led by as many as 12 thanks to its trapping defense. Tahjere Jacobs scored eight of his team-high 25 points in the opening frame.
鈥淭hey came out more intense than us,鈥� McCombs said.
Carmichaels scored the first eight points of the second quarter, including Barrish鈥檚 first basket of the game, to slice the gap to two.
Jefferson-Morgan fired right back by reeling off the next 10 points, sparked by 3-pointers from Colt Fowler and Mikael Stacy, to again go up by 12, 29-17.
Barrish started to heat up and hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored off a steal in the latter part of the second quarter as the Mikes whittled the lead down to 33-30 by halftime.
The Mikes took control in the third quarter thanks its defense and Barrish鈥檚 sizzling shooting.
Barrish hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 35-35 and a free throw by Long gave Carmichaels its first lead of the night.
Jacobs answered with five straight points, including a 3-pointer, to put J-M back on top, but Barrish drained three consecutive bombs from beyond the arc to put the hosts ahead to stay.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 just lack of hustle,鈥� J-M coach Dennis Garrett said of Barrish getting open looks. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 do anything to get lost. You know he鈥檚 the shooter, him and 10 (Long). You鈥檝e got to know we鈥檙e they鈥檙e at on the court.鈥�
Carmichaels surged to a 50-42 advantage before Fowler hit two straight jump shots to pull Jefferson-Morgan within four. The Mikes closed the quarter with a 6-1 run for a 56-47 lead.
Baskets by Barrish and Stewart and a 3-pointer by Long to start the fourth quarter gave Carmichaels a 63-47 lead and the Rockets could get no closer than nine the rest of the way.
The Mikes racked up 51 points over the final two quarters.
鈥淚t was like a whole new team in the second half,鈥� McCombs said. 鈥淓verybody on the court cranked up the intensity and played a part in kind of getting them a little bit flustered and turning turnovers into points, and our rebounding picked up.
鈥淕ood things happen whenever you play as hard as you can. We told them you鈥檝e got to want it.鈥�
Fowler followed Jacobs in scoring for the Rockets with 24 points.
鈥淔owler played well,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 scoring, getting rebounds, blocking shots. He鈥檚 doing a good job all around. Tahj is playing well shooting the ball.鈥�
Garrett was displeased with his team鈥檚 overall performance, though.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 play as a team,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淐armichaels shot well but if you don鈥檛 contest shots it makes it easier on the other team. We made a lot of mistakes, we weren鈥檛 crashing the boards or boxing out and we didn鈥檛 really run any offense.
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 do the fundamentals of basketball, you don鈥檛 win. It鈥檚 simple. There鈥檚 not tricks to it. If you don鈥檛 play the game the way it鈥檚 supposed to be played, you suffer the consequences.鈥�
Dylan Rohrer contributed seven points for the Mikes and Nate Swaney added six.
Swaney was one of four seniors, along with Jackson Machesky, Christian Mori and Zach Hillsman, honored before the game. McCombs commended the group.
鈥淣ate Swaney has played four years,鈥� McCombs said of his hulking center. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been a staple for the football team and then brought his strength and coordination to the basketball team. Our kids rally behind him. When you see him running down court full speed, it fires them up. He can be a force and he was tonight.
鈥淛ackson came to the team last year and gelled instantly with these guys. Christian plays soccer and football and joined the basketball team for the first time this year, as did Zach. I can鈥檛 say enough about both of those guys and their effort. They鈥檙e giving us everything they can in practice and in the games when they get in.鈥�
The Mikes have won two straight after having a week off.
鈥淲e鈥檙e happy to come out of here with a win,鈥� McCombs said. 鈥淗opefully we can keep the momentum going.鈥�