By By SCOTT COOPER – Sports Writer
The T.R. Miller Tigers warmed-up for the upcoming Class 3A Area-1 tournament with a decisive 77-52 home victory over the Flomaton Hurricanes on Feb. 4.
The Tigers broke open a tight game in the second quarter and never looked back. Leading by twelve at halftime, Miller continued applying pressure to the Hurricanes throughout the second half while gaining the win that upped their season record to 18-7.
Both teams ran the floor with every opportunity in a fast-paced opening quarter. DaWaun Johnson assumed the lead in Miller's first-period offensive production, but Flomaton hung tough and trailed the Tigers by a single point, 17-16, entering the second stanza.
In the second period, Neal Cheatham, Dominic Johnson and Trey Paul took control on the offensive end to lead the Tigers' on a 14-6 rally that gave them a 31-22 lead with 2:21 to go before intermission. After the two teams swapped baskets to make the score 33-24, a DaWaun Johnson 3-pointer at the buzzer allowed Miller to hold a 36-24 advantage at the break.
The Tigers methodically increased their leading margin in the second half. After padding the cushion to 53-38 at the end of the third period, a final-quarter offensive explosion was responsible for Miller pulling away to an impressive advantage.
Cheatham and Ryheem Drakeford performed well early in the quarter as the Tigers built a 59-43 lead with 6:00 remaining in the game. Following a Flomaton basket that reduced the lead to 59-45, a Paul basket was followed by Greg Bogan's 3-pointer that made the score 64-45 with 4:20 to go. From there, Miller's lead did nothing but escalate into a 25-point win.
Offensive leaders for Miller were DaWaun Johnson, 21 points; Neal Cheatham, 13 points; Trey Paul, 12 points and Greg Bogan, 11 points.
The Tigers will be in action next on Feb. 11 when they host the W.S. Neal-Clarke County winner in the Class 3A Area-1 final.