By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
For one half Calhoun made a game out of it against Gilmer County even when the Red Devils' leading scorer Zach Moore was sent to the bench early in the second quarter with foul problems.
Unfortunately basketball games are two halves and the second half was as much a blowout for the Titans as the first half was competitive.
The result was a 71-33 Gilmer victory.
Calhoun was down 12 at the half, 34-22, as Justin Gerwig led a furious rally after Moore was sent to the bench.
But ...
Gilmer came out and absolutely hammered the Red Devils in the second half -- 37-11. How dominate was Gilmer? So dominant that Calhoun went the last 5:07 of the game without scoring.
Gilmer came out in a defense designed to stop Moore from getting the ball and it did not work for a while as Moore matched the Titans point-for-point for a while. Or, at least, until Daniel Delude canned four straight three-point goals. His 12 first quarter points was his season-high output and Gilmer was on top 24-10 after one.
Then Moore got into foul trouble early in the second quarter with the Titans on top 30-11.
Without Moore on the court the Devils turned to Gerwig and he responded with all nine of his points as Calhoun enjoyed an 11-3 run to narrow the margin to 12.
But that was it for the Devils.
Gilmer out scored Calhoun 18-7 in the third for a 52-29 bulge heading into the final period.
Then the wheels that were coming off Calhoun's wagon really fell off and the Red Devils only scored four points in the period, being held scoreless for more than five minutes to close out the game.
Moore led Calhoun, now 4-12, with 15 points and six rebounds while Gerwig added nine points to go with his six rebounds.
Kyle Keesler had his best offensive game in a while with seven points for the Red Devils while Greg Myers with two rounded out the Red Devils' scoring. Chucky Kendall, Cai Clothier, Harold McCumbers, Daniel Sims, Anthony Richards, Tyler Bennett and Brandon Sampson all played but did not score.
Gilmer, now 14-2, was led by William Ratliff with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He was backed by Delude with 14 points while Jordan Knight scored nine points but had five steals and five assists for the Titans.
Gilmer County also won the junior varsity game by a 42-25 count.
Sims led the Red Devils with 14 points while CJ Myers added three and Sampson, Greg Myers, Joe Overbaugh and Richards had two each. Stewart Fitzwater, Quentin Morgan, Noah Sweeney and Bennett all played but did not score.
Gilmer was led by Cam Kinder with 10 and Ian Morris with eight.
Calhoun returns to action Wednesday night with a doubleheader at Wirt.
| 
