JCC: Pebblebrook makes it look easy
SUWANEE, GA -- Pebblebrook is one of the bigger teams in Georgia's AAAAAA class. That size is a difference maker, no doubt, but the Eagles found an early zone from three-point against Huntsville (AL) Lee and never looked back.
Pebblebrook opened the Jared Cook Tip-Off For The Cure with a bang, beating Lee 91-54 on Saturday night at North Gwinnett High School.
The Cobb County school pumped in 52 first half points and hit nine three-pointers in the first 16 minutes of play. And, like that, the game was over.
Ty Hudson, a Clemson signee, scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half. Mt. Vernon transfer Jared Harper hit four three-pointers en route to 12 points in the opening half. He wasn't done there. Harper, a junior, finished with a game high 21 points and hit seven three-pointers. Trhae Mitchell scored nine in the first half and ended with 11.
Derek Ogbeide signed with Georgia on Wednesday and showed why the Bulldogs wanted the 6-foot-9 paint protector so bad. He blocked three shots and altered about 10 others. His interior energy was outstanding.
"That made it easy for us. When he blocked a shot, we were off to transition," said Pebblebrook head coach George Washington. "When he grabs a rebound, we say 'Let's go.' We practice that so much. It just second nature to the guys now."
Hudson, the leader of the Eagles, said the team has not forgotten what happened at McCamish Pavilion against Wheeler last spring.
"As a team, we've been practicing ever since March 3. When we lost in the Final Four, we went right to work the next day," Hudson said. "We are an unselfish team. We trust that the next guy can make the shot."
Pebblebrook's unselfishness was the foundation of the team's success. Harper and Hudson combined for 13 assists in win. Every score, it seemed like, had an assist to it.
"They have matured so much over the last two years. The maturation process has been fun," Washington said. "They are growing up and becoming young men. They understand that for this team to be great, everyone has to be unselfish. They don't care who scores. All they care about is that we score."
Lee was led by senior forward Gerron Scissum, not a bad prospect in his own right. The 6-foot-7 forward had 10 points in the defeat.