By Tyler F. Thompson (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
In 78 years, there has been a plethora to report on regarding the annual Greenwood Blue and Gold Tournament.
The teams. The players. The records. The physicality.
It’s all been vital to the tournament’s success for nearly eight decades.
Even more lasting memories were etched into the Glendale’s memory banks as the 3rd-seeded Falcons topped the 7th-seeded Branson Pirates in the Gold Division semifinals 68-52 Thursday evening at Great Southern Bank Arena.
Of course, finding themselves in the tournament win column is old hat for the Falcons, who improve their record to 7-2 after the win.
The Falcons have 21 top-4 finishes and 10 titles to their credit.
Ta’Veaion Washington finished with 21 points and being one of two players with varsity experience from one year ago, veteran head coach Brian McTague heavily leans upon the senior’s leadership.
Washington, who netted 12 first-half points, went down twice in the contest after being undercut in the first half, before exiting after nearly hyperextending his knee in the second half.
But in pure Washington fashion, he toughed it out.
“I feel good,” said Washington. “I played tough and being a leader for my team. I feel like we came out there and fought.”
While the Falcons were in control early, the scrappy Branson squad would not relent at any juncture — knocking down shots from the arc.
The team was led by sophomore sharpshooter Jayce Culver, who led all scoring with his 26-point performance.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
But missed opportunities at the charity stripe proved costly, as did turnovers, giving the Falcons added opportunities throughout the final two quarters of play.
Holding the 29-28 lead at halftime after Branson connected for nine points from downtown in the second, McTague’s message at half was one of a simplistic nature.
“Just relax, I thought we got our heads down a little bit. They made five 3’s in the second quarter — kind of knocked us on our heels a little bit,” said McTague.
Washington’s versatility in driving the paint and dishing when necessary comments on his maturation, as he continues to serve as an extension of the coaching staff, and the younger players are heeding his advice.
“For us old people, he is kind of like a Scottie Pippen-type guy who goes out there and gets 20 and nine or 10 rebounds. He does a little bit of everything. When he is on his game, he fills up the stat sheet. He put us on his back tonight and made some key shots early. When Branson was threatening to pull away, he is the leader of our team, a vocal leader,” McTague said of Washington. “He keeps our guys energized.”
McTague was not the first one to address the Falcons at intermission as Washington could be heard pumping up his team from the bowels of Great Southern Bank Arena.
Added McTague: “Whenever I walked in at halftime, he was already saying the same things I was going to say. It is nice to have someone like that.”
With the win, Glendale now faces a potent Springfield Central team that has made waves this season.
This marks the first time since 1965 that two Springfield schools will meet for a division championship, as Parkview defeated the Falcons, 61-48, 58 years ago.
Scoring for the Falcons:
Washington – 21
Witham – 18
Fletcher – 19
Houston – 6
Scoring for the Pirates:
Asbury – 3
Toliver – 10
McCormick – 3
Sutton – 7
Culver – 26
