The Bulldoggs have been surging as of late, and they continued their run with a blowout 68-45 win over the Gladiators Friday night, their third straight win.
Winder-Barrow (14-8, 7-2) pulled away midway through the second quarter with a 18-4 run to close the half, entering the intermission with a 37-21 lead.
The lights-out three-point shooting was one of the main sources of the Bulldoggs’ offensive firepower. They hit seven 3-pointers before the half.
“We’ve got a couple guys we really have confidence in and that can shoot the three ball at a high clip, high percentage, and it's about getting those guys good looks,” head coach Travis McDaniel said after the win.
According to McDaniel, the high volume of 3-pointers shot was by design, as Clarke Central’s zone defense put his team in a position to continue to thrive.
Freshman guard Jerrin Samuel led the way for the Bulldoggs with his 17 pointes, six rebounds and three steals, knocking down four of those threes on his own.
Senior guard Jeremiah Holloway chipped in 14 points, five assists and three steals of his own in the win.
McDaniel also aimed to take the Gladiators’ top scorer, sophomore Marcus Gillespie, out of his rhythm, similar to what the Bulldogs were able to do in their win in Athens back in December.
“Our goal was to make it tough on him,” McDaniel said. “He averages 28. Keep him below that, and make other guys try to beat you. Tonight, we did a good enough job on the other guys when they didn't make enough shots to where we were able to keep them down in the 40s.”
It was a physical matchup early between the two teams – both knowing how important this second game could be for their seedings later on for the region tournament.
The Bulldoggs also got their fourth consecutive win when they traveled to Jefferson to take on the Dragons Tuesday night and came away with a convincing 64-37 win. Each win on their winning streak has been by double digits, and this win was the largest of the series.
Holloway had 13 points, nine assists and six rebounds in the win. Junior guard Tyrin Sims had 12 points, while sophomore guard Brian Arnold had nine.
Nevertheless, McDaniel said the most important aspect of the win was Winder-Barrow’s bench production. The bench put up 22 points on the road, exhibiting the Bulldoggs’ depth late in the season.
McDaniel has said on a number of occasions that Winder-Barrow has “seven starters” on its roster. When healthy, he believes depth is its biggest asset.
Winder-Barrow hosts Flowery Branch Friday.
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