Bryson City – For one of the few times in my career as a coach/journalist, Friday’s game with Andrews left me totally speechless. First, it was a good game, and had the potential to have been a great game. Andrews outscored Swain 31-11 over the game’s final 8 minutes to take a thrilling 81-80 conference win.
As thrilling as the game was, from a Swain standpoint at least it was equally exasperating. Swain had 5 players foul out and the lone remaining starter finish the game handicapped by four fouls. The foul fest featured 33 total fouls against Swain, and a whopping 4 technical fouls.
I think it is important and appropriate at this point to describe the technical fouls. At a glance one would assume that with 33 foul calls against them the Maroon Devils exploded into a frustration fueled tantrum that resulted in four technical fouls. That was simply not the case. Junior Zeke Bradley was accessed the first technical, for putting the ball on the floor following a foul call. In reaction, Coach Scotty McMahan got off the Swain bench held his hands out and asked why Bradley had been accessed a technical, for that he was accessed a technical. Gaige Southards was given a technical, when after being called for a foul, he asked the referee what he had done. The final technical was as off the wall as they get. Brier Younce, following being fouled at halfcourt, continued his dribble and layed the ball in the basket and was given a technical for delay of game.
Andrews showed character and grit as the battled back to take the win. Dillan Phillips led all scorers with 38 points. Phillips went 16 of 20 from the free throw line. Freshman Kade Ellis scored most of his 21 points in the 4th quarter, he went 8 of 10 from the line.
On the night Ellis was 1 free throw away from equaling the amount Swain shot for the game. The Maroon Devils went 4 of 11 from the appropriately nick-named charity stripe, while Andrews was 31 of 41.
Gaige Southards paced Swain with 25 points and 7 assists. Brier Younce scored 22 of his 24 points in the first half, before being slowed fouls and eventually fouling out in the second half. Seth Parker added 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks before he fouled out. Bradley Vestal, who only played sparingly due to foul trouble, added 10 points before fouling out. Zeke Bradley was also limited in the time he played finished with 2 points, despite averaging 19 on the season. Bradley added 6 blocks, 5 assists and 4 rebounds, before he fouled out.
This isn’t the first foul fest. Same officials? Perhaps a meeting with head of officials for SMC is due to see what the problem is.