Top-ranked Braves spook Dadeville into timid outing

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Dadeville Bearcats were realistic about the task ahead of them entering their Class 1 boys basketball semifinal against Scott County Central.

"Tonight's game was one of those games where we knew we were going to have our work cut out for us before we ever stepped onto the floor," Dadeville coach Michael Linehan said after his team's 86-51 loss at the Hearnes Center.

"Our game plan was to block them out first of all. They're very, very good on the offensive boards. Secondly, we wanted to slow them down in transition, make sure we had several guys back on defense and thirdly was to execute and just try to get open looks."

Linehan did not devise a radical plan to beat the Braves.

"We weren't going to stall," he said. "We weren't going to pull something that we haven't done all year. We wanted to just execute and hopefully knock down open looks."

Unfortunately for the Bearcats, that plan started to unravel before they even stepped onto the floor.

"You could see it in their body language that we were nervous," Linehan said. "We were probably even intimidated and that frustrated me because I was kind of hoping that we'd come out relaxed and give it everything we have."

Staring down that feeling of intimidation is something that every team must try to do before stepping onto the floor with the top-ranked and defending champion Braves, who met little resistance on their way to the state title a season ago.

"We for sure came out playing timid," Dadeville forward Brock Toler said. "We came out scared, and I really think the outcome of the game would be a lot different if we had just come out loose and playing our game."

Scott County Central coach Kenyon Wright said he noticed some hesitation from Dadeville.

"I think we just put a little pressure on them and they kind of backed off a little bit from the pressure," Wright said. "We got a few steals and hit some shots, and they didn't hit shots."

The Braves led 22-8 after one quarter and 53-24 at halftime.

"We started the game, missed our first three or four open shots, had three or four turnovers right away and dug ourselves a pretty good hole," Linehan said. "The first half was not near as competitive as it could have been or should have been."

Linehan said he had increased the difficulty of his team's schedule in hopes of preparing for games against the likes of Scott County Central.

"It's still not the same style," Linehan said. "It's tougher schools, bigger schools, bigger competition but it's still not the same style that we saw tonight and I think that hurts us some, too. We're not used to this style of basketball."

Toler said that teams in Dadeville's conference typically bring the ball up court slowly and run a set play.

Scott County Central, he said, "They catch the ball. They fly."

And, importantly, they fly faster than any team the Bearcats ever have seen.

"I've never seen that kind of speed and that kind of talent," Linehan said as Toler and teammate Cole Long shook their heads in unison and laughed.

"They work hard," Linehan said. "They've got talent, they work hard and they crash those boards aggressively. They're a good combination of hard work and talent, so you've got to give them credit."