Canton boys roll Laurel in state semifinals
Canton continued their quest for a second straight MHSAA 5A state title with a dominant 79-59 semifinal win over Laurel on Tuesday night.
After falling behind 16-13 at the end of the first quarter, the Tigers outscored Laurel 66-43 in the final three quarters to earn the win and a berth to the state title game.
“It really has just been the epitome of our whole season, fighting through adversity,” Canton Head Coach Brian Townsend said. “We had to go through some adversity there again in that first quarter and we just stuck together and kept playing.”
Canton had four players score in double figures, with Eric Gilkey III leading with 20 points. This balance and depth took the pressure off of Mississippi State signee Jamarion Davis-Fleming and made the Tigers almost impossible to guard on the offensive end.
“I always just tell our guys to be aggressive, no one man can take over the team all the time,” Townsend said. “The more that other players can step up, the harder it is to sit on Jamarion all game and that makes us a tougher team to beat.”
Davis-Fleming was able to thrive on the inside in this one with the performance of his team around him, scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to earn a double-double in the win. Davis Fleming also added two blocks on the defensive end.
“It’s made it a lot easier for me and for us as a team, with how everyone has stepped up during the season,” Davis-Fleming said. “Eric Gilkey was just knocking down shot after shot on a big stage like this and it really opened up the court for us.”
While Canton is one win away from their second straight state title, it has not come easy at times this season. The Tigers started the season 2-6 and have had to battle a plethora of adversity throughout the regular season, but have battled through and are back in the state title game.
“We started off the season rough trying to adjust to new players in new positions,” Townsend said. “When you win a state championship, the expectation is to win another and when we started off the season rough a lot of people doubted us. I just told our team to use that as motivation.”
The opponent for Canton in the state championship will be a familiar foe in Holmes County Central. Canton and Holmes County both play in Region 2-5A and have already played three times this season, with Canton winning twice and Holmes County winning once.
Holmes County won 55-46 in the first regular season matchup, followed by a dominant 77-29 win in the second regular season matchup. Canton then beat Holmes County 49-44 in the Region 2-5A title game.
“They are really gritty and they play really hard,” Townsend said. “They are one of those teams that if you don’t watch out, they can sneak up on you because they shoot it and defend really well.”
Canton and Holmes County will play for the MHSAA 5A state championship on Friday at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, with tip-off scheduled for 8 PM. Tickets are available through GoFan or at the gate if still available.