Columbia’s Quay Wallace (with ball) splits a pair of Westside defenders to pass to a teammate during the Eagles’ loss in the Class 2A semifinals on Saturday. (Photo by Mark Brock)
The Columbia Eagles season came to an end for the third season in a row with a loss to the Westside (Augusta) Patriots as a second half rally fell short in a 70-59 Class 2A boys’ state playoffs semifinals at Centennial Center on the campus of Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville on Saturday.
Westside (27-4) built as much as a 15-point lead twice in the first half and the Eagles (27-4) managed to cut it to seven (39-32) at the half behind a three by Brandon Bigsby, two free throws each by Jamarcus Hatcher and Bigsby and a floater in the lane by Trevian Callaway just before the halftime buzzer.
The momentum continued after the break with a reverse layup and two free throws by Hatcher followed by a dish from Callaway to Quay Wallace to make it 40-38 with 5:50 to play in the period. Wallace trimmed it back to two again at the 5:10 mark to make it 42-40.
Westside answered with two quick baskets by Dontrell Jackson and Aldrion Jones and rode that to a 52-45 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Westside pushed the lead back out to nine several times in the fourth quarter but the Eagles kept pushing behind the play of Wallace and Hatcher. Hatcher had back-to-back baskets around the three-minute mark, one on an assist from Wallace, as the gap closed to five.
The Tigers would only score one more basket the rest of the way and Westside hit six consecutive free throws in the final 56 seconds, four by Jackson and two more by Ivery, to finish off the win for the Patriots.
Quay Wallace finished with 22 points and six rebounds to lead the Eagles with Jamarcus Hatcher added 16 points and six rebounds.
Westside had four players in double figures including Demarco Middleton (14), Dontrell Jackson (13), Aldrion Jones (13) and Bobby Blackwell (10).