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n the second consolation semi, some highly regarded juniors take center stage. For Malloy, its Cole Anthony, a guard many consider the best perimeter player in the 2019 Class. For Mountain Brook, Trendon Watford is a 6’9 combo forward that can light things up. Malloy may have the edge inside with 7’0 senior Moses Brown.
Anthony nailed a three on the first possession of the game. Watford answered with a bucket inside. Brown of Malloy scored the next three points to push them to a 6-2 lead but a pair of Mountain Brook threes gave them an 8-6 edge. A bucket inside by Brown tied the score but then Mountain Brook started raining threes. The put together a 14-2 run as three different players hit shots from beyond the arc, two by Sean Elmore. With under one minute to play, Mountain Brook was up 22-10 and Ranney was on the ropes. Orrin Barfield of Malloy stopped the bleeding with a three but Elmore struck again just before the buzzer with another three to make the score 25-13 Mountain Brook with one period in the books.
Just like the first quarter, Anthony opened up the scoring with a three ball. Ben Garrett of Mountain Brook offset with a three of his own. Brown then hit one free throw while Watford hit a pair at the other end. Malloy got the margin into single digits after a dunk by Brown inside and then he scored in transition to make the score 30-21. Mountain Brook responded with a 5-0 run to push their lead back into the teens. At that point, Malloy went on an 8-0 run with threes from Daniel Braster and Jade Tsu sandwiched around an offensive rebound dunk from Brown. Now it was just a seven point game at 35-29 with just under two minutes left in the half. That didn’t seem to phase Mountain Brook. Watford completed a three point play while Garrett knocked a three down from the corner just before the buzzer. At the half, it was a twelve point game at 41-29 in favor of Mountain Brook.
The flurry of Mountain Brook threes continued in the third quarter. Britton Johnson hit a three for Mountain Brook to get it started. Anthony hit a three for Malloy to keep pace. Then the dam broke. A 7-0 run by Mountain Brook pushed the margin to nineteen. Anthony hit another three, but Mountain Brook kept flowing. A pair of threes from Johnson made it a 57-35 score with just over five minutes to play in the third. A three point play by Brown of Malloy helped but more threes kept coming, this time a pair from Alex Washington. Brown converted a pair of free throws for Malloy but then another three from Mountain Brook went down. Back to back baskets by Brown got Malloy back on the board but Washington hit a three for Mountain Brook just before the third period horn to make the score 69-44 with one period left to play.
A 5-0 run to start the fourth by Mountain Brook pushed the lead to thirty and the running clock watch was on. For seven of the final eight minutes, Malloy could manage only a putback by Brown. That running clock kicked in when Watford scored inside to make the score 81-46 with just over three minutes to play. Mountain Brook will face Ranney School in the consolation final with an 82-51 win.
Elmore led Mountain Brook with 21 points while Watford added 18 points and Washington had eleven. Of Mountain Brooks 29 field goals, 20 were three pointers and they went 20-39 from that distance for the game.
Malloy was paced by Brown with 25 points while Anthony finished with 12 points.
