Tatum Uses Big Third Quarter to Claim Third Place at Holiday Hoops Showcase

TATUM -- The Tatum Eagles used a 28-point third quarter to hold off a pesky Marshall Mavericks squad, 83-76, and capture the third-place game of the gold bracket at the Tatum Holiday Hoops Showcase on Saturday.

Cole Hughes scored a game-high 18 points with eight rebounds and three steals for Tatum (11-5). Robbie Rockwell and Jahee Johnson both netted 16 points apiece, with Johnson adding a team-high 13 boards (five offensive).

"Hughes is having a phenomenal year," said Tatum coach Brett Carr. "We really need to watch his minutes, he's playing too many. But he's our leader, no doubt. We really needed Jahee to step up. This is really his first year to get any significant playing time on varsity. It was a great game for him."

Marshall (12-5) was led by Jay McKnight's 15 points and six rebounds. Garren Jernigan added 12 points and nine boards, and Chris Williams totaled 13 points and five steals.

Rockwell opened the second half with a rebound and left-handed hook shot, followed by Javolick Garrett's bank shot off the glass, and Tatum started a 6-0 run.

Marshall would match it, going on a 6-0 streak when Chris Wiilliams got consecutive steals and went the length of the floor to tie it at 44. Hughes' steal and layup at the 4:05 mark in the third gave Tatum the 48-46 lead. Tatum wouldn't trail the remainder of the game.

When Marshall coach Bobby Carson got a technical 20 seconds later, Tatum went on another 6-0 run, highlighted by another steal by Hughes, who went coast to coast for the layup. Devonte Alexander hit a three in the corner, followed by a Rockwell quick-release trey with two guys in his face, and the Eagles had their biggest margin, 56-50.

Rockwell opened the fourth with a steal and layup, followed by a Johnson steal and three-point play. He sank the free throw to push Tatum's lead to nine, 73-64, with a little more than six minutes left.

"Most of our kids play football," Carr said. "So we rely on our numbers, need to keep those high so that we can play up-tempo. That's our style. Quite honestly, our bench, when we are playing frantic, are as good as our starters. If we can keep it that way, that's how we'll play it."

Marshall opened the game on a 13-6 run, when six different players scored buckets. When Johnson grabbed his third offensive rebound and putback with 11 seconds left in the first, it was 19-14 Marshall.

Both teams played at a frantic pace in the first half. Tatum used its zone-press defense to create turnovers, while Marshall used a three-quarters court trap to push the tempo. But it was Tatum's depth that kept the Eagles close, playing 10 guys.

Marshall's Williams drained a jumper in the lane to start the second, and then Jernigan's offensive rebound and putback made it 29 all at the 2:56 mark. Tatum's Garrett drained a three at the buzzer to tie the score at 38 going into the intermission.

Marshall's free-throw shooting kept the Mavs close, going 24 for 35. Tatum was 16 for 29 from the charity stripe.

Tatum will be on the road Monday as the Eagles take on Pittsburg.

Pine Tree Finishes Tatum Tourney With Win Over Carthage

Caleb Chumley scored 28 points to lead the Pine Tree Pirates past Carthage, 62-53, Saturday in silver-bracket action at the Tatum Holiday Hoops Showcase.

Earlier in the day, the Pirates fell to Bullard Brook Hill, 61-48.

Colin Hanks led Brook Hill with 21 points, while Pine Tree's Robert Hines matched the performance with 21 of his own. Chumley added 12 points and Garrett Rayburn gave the Pirates three in double figures with 11.