Southwest takes down Rutland 76-48

On one side, there was a team with only two seniors that went 9-18 last year. On the other was a team that lost only two regulars from a state runner-up squad.

For the first 10 minutes, the boys game between Rutland and Southwest didn’t necessarily play that way.

When Rutland head coach Charles Gordon called a timeout a few minutes into the second quarter, the Hurricanes were hanging with defending runner-up Southwest.

By the time Rutland scored again more than five minutes later, a four-point deficit had ballooned to 15 points and set the Patriots on their way to a 76-48 non-region win Monday at Rutland.

Southwest improved to 4-2 while Rutland fell to 1-7.

It was the largest margin of defeat for the Hurricanes, not unexpectedly. Rutland’s biggest loss before Monday was by 15 to Howard, with the Hurricanes losing the other five games by eight, four, six, three and 13.

“Turnovers and free throws,” Gordon said of the two consistent issues that have plagued the Hurricanes. “Those are the things with veteran guys, they don’t turn it over and make their free throws. Those are the main things why we’re 1-7 right now.”

The girls game had much more suspense, with Southwest surviving for a 57-55 win in overtime. Rutland led 20-7 after one quarter and 29-24 at halftime, with Southwest getting eight points from Shakiya Dean in the third and seven from Simaya Robertson in the fourth to force overtime. That duo — who teamed for 45 points — handled the scoring as the Patriots held on. Xenia Thomas had 24 and Nyjializ Vera 14 for the Hurricanes.

For Rutland’s boys team, Gordon is working on following the Southwest model in which head coach Monquencio Hardnett and the Patriots took some lumps when they played a lot of freshmen, a group that progressed to make last year’s GHSA Class A-Division I run to the state final.

“I’m taking the same formula that I saw him do, and I’m running with it,” Gordon said. “Playing guys young and letting them get the bumps and bruises and hopefully they learn and grow from it. I’m definitely seeing progress.”

But there are growing pains, like Monday night.

A runner by Jace Harris pulled the Hurricanes within 21-17 with 5:30 left in the second quarter.

Southwest suddenly began to pick up the pace and scored on six of its next eight possessions, with six points coming from Chase Dupree, including a 3-pointer.

Kentavious Spivey broke Rutland’s drought with a bucket low to bring the hosts within 32-19 with 66 seconds left before intermission only for Dupree to drain another shot from distance to take Southwest into halftime with a 35-19 lead.

The Hurricanes came up empty on their first five possessions of the third quarter, yet the margin remained at 15 for the first five minutes of the period.

But the Patriots hit the accelerator again and closed the frame with a run for a 49-29 lead after three quarters.

Rutland kept playing hard, but still couldn’t manage to put together many consecutive scoring possessions, getting some good looks but still finding trouble inside against the taller Patriots, who were also longer at every position.

“We’re young, we made a lot of mistakes,” Gordon said. “That’s an experienced group. They showed their experience today.”

Dupree led the way with 29 points while C.J. Howard added 20 and junior Alex Butts 10, eight Patriots getting into the scoring column. Harris had 14 for Rutland, topping the seven Hurricanes who scored.

Hardnett saw some familiarity watching the Hurricanes, remembering life on Williamson Road not too long ago.

“They have learned from all these (games),” Hardnett said. “They’re all lessons when you’re playing freshmen. You get something out of them. And I can guarantee you, by the time (they) get to next year or the year after, (they’ll) be ready.”

Like Southwest was last year, two years after going 11-16 with the group that is now the senior class.

“It’s like I was telling Coach (Gordon),” Hardnett said. “They remind me so much of when I had Chase and CJ as ninth-graders. I really didn’t have a choice but to play on.”

Playing on paid off, and Gordon hopes for the same. The record is what it is, but he sees good things.

“They’re learning, they’re growing,” he said.”They’re receptive. I told them, ‘don’t lose your joy, don’t lose your love for the game because we’re losing, because I’m not losing mine.’ I’m having fun coaching them.”