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CLEVELAND, Ohio– Garfield Heights head coach Sonny Johnson was pleased with the way some of his underclassmen were able to play against Shaker Heights on Jan. 29.
A free throw from Sonny Johnson Jr. with four seconds left gave the Bulldogs a 61-60 win, improving the team’s winning streak to six games.
FINAL: Garfield 61, Shaker 60.
Sonny Johnson Jr knocks down a FT with 4 seconds left to seal the win for the Bulldogs. @GHbulldogsAD @sports_kee pic.twitter.com/5nZMyYTUy4— Michael Trivisonno (@MichaelTriv_) January 30, 2021
“I challenged our underclassmen. I challenged Tommie, Sonny and Tavian to be the better underclassmen today and I think they did a pretty good job.”
Tavian Tatum led the way for the Bulldogs with 21 points and 11 rebounds, followed by 13 from Marcos Vazquez and eight apiece from Sonny Johnson jr and Tyler Jackson.
Shaker had the ball with just under 30 seconds left with no timeouts. As Danny Young got trapped in the corner, sophomore Tommie Benn forced a turnover and the Bulldogs were in control.
That’s when Sonny Johnson Jr. drove and forced a foul on Young, where he eventually sunk the game-winning free throw in a comeback effort.
“He was due for one,” Sonny Johnson said on his son making a play with the ball in his hands on the final possession of the game for the Bulldogs. “I’m asking a lot from him. He’s been off a year and a half basically and to be pulled into the environment he’s been in the last couple of games and just the speed and physicality of the game, I’m proud of him.
“We knew we were in good shape because most of our scoring is usually from our guard position and today it was from our bigs inside,” Johnson continued. “I think Tavion was outstanding and Tyler Jackson did a good job all the way around.”
Shaker Heights was able to hang onto a double-digit lead for most of the first quarter, with Daniel Young Jr. pouring in 10 of his team’s first 22 points. Garfield switched to a zone defense and was able to slow down the Raiders, outscoring them 18-12 in the second quarter to head into halftime trailing 34-32.
Tavian Tatum was a force inside the paint all night for the Bulldogs. He gave the team its first lead of the game midway through the third quarter following a layup fighting through contact.
Tavian Tatum gives Garfield its first lead of the game, 40-38 midway through the 3rd Q. pic.twitter.com/ru1DdDDHrB
— Michael Trivisonno (@MichaelTriv_) January 30, 2021
For the rest of the game, no lead felt safe. Both teams traded baskets and the game stayed within one possession for most of the second half. The Bulldogs were able to get a lot of second-chance points late in the game after missed rebounding opportunities from the Raiders.
That proved to be the difference in the game from head coach Danny Young and his team, he emphasized.
“That’s something we emphasize and work on all the time,” Young said about Garfield winning the rebound battle. “We kept trying to make it a jumping match and we lost that battle. We have to go back to practice and work on that.”
Daniel Young led the way for Shaker during the loss with a game-high 35 points– including knocking down 15-of-16 free throws. Cody Head added 11 as well after fouling out in the fourth quarter.
For most of the night, the junior guard was able to get to the paint often due to his speed and strength, drawing a myriad of fouls. No foul was bigger than the one on him in the closing seconds trying to block Sonny Johnson Jr’s layup with under five seconds left.
After missing the first half of the season recovering from a season-ending knee injury a year ago, Johnson Jr. is just happy to be back on the floor, trying to help lead his team back from an 0-3 slump to start the year.
“It’s been great getting back to play with my guys,” Johnson Jr said. “I haven’t been able to play in the first half but playing now feels pretty good.”
