GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Was it a preview of what’s to come in Region 8-3A? If so, what a battle for the region title that should be.
Cherokee Bluff and East Hall, 8-3A foes for at least the next two seasons, duked it out for the Lanierland title on Saturday at the Davis-Hill Gym. And the first of at least three installments this season did not disappoint.
The Bears used a 13-2 run in the fourth quarter to erase a Vikings lead for an eventual 73-65 win to defend their Lanierland title.
The big run was sparked by Tyler Underwood, who poured in 9 straight points, including a pair of long 3-pointers, and capped it with a pair of free throws for a 69-59 lead with just 57 seconds left.
Typically, Underwood is okay with just being another face in the crowd. Not this time. The quick barrage was part of a 17-point quarter for the senior guard, who was also named tournament MVP.
“Someone had to make a move,” Underwood said. “We had a couple of good defensive plays. I just ended up being the one on offense. I started feeling it a little bit, and we were in great flow on defense. I was just there to capitalize.”
Bears coach Josh Travis said he was not surprised by Underwood’s play.
“The way things were going, I almost felt that the game was almost over for us,” Travis said. “But the best adjustment I did was to shut up, and I left Tyler in the game -- and he took over.
“What's really special for me about this is that, more often than not, Tyler’s the guy that stands in the back and lets somebody else get the spotlight. Not tonight. He did it for his team.”
In the fourth quarter, Bluff (12-1) began the final 8 minutes with a 50-44 advantage after closing out the third with a 9-4 run. But East Hall (8-2) used a 9-0 run of its own, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Jordan Richerson and capped by a basket from Braydon Langston, to claim a 56-54 lead with 4:25 left.
But Underwood’s back-to-back treys gave the Bears back the lead at 59-57, and they never trailed again.
Travis said he doesn’t really consider it being back-to-back titles, however.
“I think last year's team and this year's team have to be appreciated individually,” he said. “Whether or not it's back to back, that part of it's great. And for the guys that were part of both, that'll always be part of it.
“But this is a different team than last year. We're on (a different) journey this year.”
The Bears came out firing to open the game, getting a 3-pointer from Cooper Glover and a driving reverse layup from Boston Kersh, who finished with 21 points, for a quick 5-2 lead in the opening minute.
But East Hall answered with a 9-2 run, sparked by a 3-pointer from Richerson to run out to an 11-5 lead. The Vikings extended the lead to 19-11 late in the first quarter.
Bluff rallied into the second quarter, powered by 7 points from Andy Quirarte, with a 13-3 spurt to retake the lead 24-22. From there, it was a back-and-forth battle.
The teams traded the five more times over the final five minutes of the first half, capped by a 3-pointer from the Bears’ Connor Robinson to send it to the half tied at 34.
The Bears continued the push in the third quarter, opening with a 5-0 run, capped again by another trey from Quirarte for a 39-34 lead, their biggest of the game at the time. The Vikings cut it to 41-40 on a basket from Chasen Jones, but Bluff responded with its late third-quarter run, getting a crowd-buzzing, floating 3-pointer from Kersh at the buzzer.
Glover had 10 points, Robinson 9 on three 3-pointers, and Quirarte had 8 for Cherokee Bluff.
The runner-up finish for the Vikings was their best since winning the title in 2021. They finished 8th in 2022 and 6th last year.
Richerson paced East Hall with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. Khalil Goss had 15 points, Langston 13, and Jamarcus Harrison 11 for the Vikings.
