Mill Creek's boys basketball players continued their dream season Wednesday, this time defeating visiting Roswell 57-29 in a second-round game in the Class AAAAA playoffs.
The victory was Mill Creek's second in the playoffs, following Saturday's 65-61 victory at Walton. The Hawks previously had been to state only once, in 2009, when they lost to South Gwinnett in the first round.
Mill Creek coach Chad Rogers said emotion at the Hoschton school is at a fever pitch, aided by the Mill Creek girls' 64-62 overtime win against Northview in a preceding game Wednesday.
"That's what you want, people jumping on the bandwagon," Rogers said of excitement approaching Saturday's 8:30 p.m. third-round game against Milton at West Georgia College. "It definitely feels good to be playing as well as we are right now."
Points proved tough to come by from the outset, as Mill Creek and Roswell had difficulty cracking the other's zone defense and forced outside shots. The Hornets (14-16) never scored from beyond the 3-point arc, while the Hawks (17-12) made eight, including ones at nearly the buzzer of each of the first three quarters.
Brandon Hayman, Mill Creek's second-leading scorer this season, led the way with 15 points, including six in the fourth quarter, when the Hawks outscored the Hornets 21-7. Trevon Shaw added 14, including eight that put the Hawks up 16-2 after a quarter. Jalen Bracey scored eight, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Roswell's Sean Brennan, who scored 30 in the Hornets' 57-56 first-round win over Berkmar, was held to only three against the Hawks. Tyrone Hayes' 10 points and Taylor Birchett's nine paced the Hornets, who won state in 1971 and ‘97, but haven't gone beyond the second round in four playoff appearances since.
The Hawks led the Hornets 21-10 at halftime 36-22 after three quarters, then poured it on in the fourth. James Holder and Elijah Bryant punctuated the win with 3-point baskets in the final minute.
Mill Creek, who came in allowing only 53 points per game, allowed Roswell the fewest of any team this season.
"Defense has been the backbone of our team," Rogers said. "That's been one of the best parts of our game all year."
About the Author
