High school basketball: Gainesville takes over in fourth quarter to defeat Vanguard
OCALA — The atmosphere in Vanguard High School’s gymnasium didn’t feel like a regular-season game in mid December. The roaring crowd and raucous cheer squad gave the the matchup a playoff feel.
A standing-room only crowd watched as Gainesville (6-1) spoiled Vanguard’s (3-3) best shooting night of the year. The two teams played tug of war with the lead before the Hurricanes dug in to pull away for a 70-61 victory.
“We were able stretch it out there and get a little breathing room at the end, but my blood pressure was up a little bit,” said Gainesville head coach Mike Barnes.
The former district foes haven’t lost any memory of their rivalry. Let’s breakdown the action from a suspenseful game.
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It’s raining threes from the start
Gainesville and Vanguard combined for eight threes in the first quarter. The Knights made 75% of their threes and used the difference to take an early lead.
![Vanguard Knights guard D’mareon Manning (1) runs into Gainesville Hurricanes Anthony Leivonen (44)and Gainesville Hurricanes guard Jacob Wright (4) while driving to the basket in the first half. Vanguard High School hosted Gainesville High School at Vanguard High School in Ocala, FL on Tuesday, December 13, 2022. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/QvQ0O1LBbLXuaaUSCVmQvQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEzNTk-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/ocala-star-banner/72456fcefd308753dc7e4c5447d2a551)
D’mareon Manning sparked the flamethrowers draining four of his five attempts from downtown. He’d finish with a game-high 25 points after hitting a career-high eight threes.
“The last few games I haven’t been on but today it felt good,” said Manning.
Vanguard head coach Todd Davis says Manning was red hot in Monday's practice. Manning, Vanguard’s starting point guard, rode the shooting streak into one of the best three-point shooting performances in Vanguard history.
“He was hot tonight and he was on. We kept letting him shoot it, and he kept us in the game tonight,” said Davis.
Vanguard goes cold in the second quarter
Vanguard saw its offensive firepower smolder as the game went further. The flame was never colder than the second quarter.
Vanguard went from 22 points in the first quarter to six in the second. After making six threes in the first quarter, they did not make one in the second. The Knights' three turnovers turned to 10 by halftime.
“We’ve been working at getting better on offense. Moving the ball and trying to find the right guys at the right time,” Davis said.
Most teams struggle with offensive structure and finding a go-to scorer. The Knights' offensive growth will determine how far this team goes.
Hurricanes break away in second half
Through the first three quarters, the Knights and Hurricanes were never separated by more than six points. The two teams spent the second and third quarters trading a one-point lead. Theodore Stephens scored 11 of his 22 to keep Gainesville alive during the third quarter.
Vanguard held a three-point lead when the final frame started, but the score continued to turn in the Hurricanes' favor.
The turnover bug hit the Knights hard. It crushed their momentum and sapped the team’s energy.
The Hurricanes' size helped them on the boards. Countless second possessions and Josh Hayes, the 6-foot-9 Appalachian State commit, scoring in the paint, cemented the nine-point win.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Vanguard's D'mareon Manning drops eight threes in loss to Gainesville
