Red-hot Cavaliers take care of visiting Rams

Published 12:00 am Monday, January 25, 2016

By Kevin Eckleberry

keckleberry@civitasmedia.com

Callaway’s Kedrick Ramsey goes to the basket during the second half of Saturday’s win over Valley. Kevin Eckleberry | Daily News

http://lagrangenews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2016/01/web1_CHS7-1.jpgCallaway’s Kedrick Ramsey goes to the basket during the second half of Saturday’s win over Valley. Kevin Eckleberry | Daily News

Callaway’s Ernest Patillo dunks during the second half to help his team beat Valley for the second time this season. Kevin Eckleberry | Daily News

http://lagrangenews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2016/01/web1_CHS5-1.jpgCallaway’s Ernest Patillo dunks during the second half to help his team beat Valley for the second time this season. Kevin Eckleberry | Daily News

Callaway’s Tamarcus Smith scores during Saturday’s win over Valley. Kevin Eckleberry | Daily News

http://lagrangenews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/37/2016/01/web1_CHS9.jpgCallaway’s Tamarcus Smith scores during Saturday’s win over Valley. Kevin Eckleberry | Daily News

HOGANSVILLE – The surging Callaway Cavaliers took a break from their region schedule to complete a regular-season sweep of the Valley Rams on Saturday.

In their second game of the season, the Cavaliers held on for a 63-59 road win over the Rams.

Those two teams got together for the rematch in Hogansville, and it was Callaway claiming a fairly comfortable 79-69 victory.

The Cavaliers had a 13-point lead through three periods, and they had a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter.

The Cavaliers have won six consecutive games to improve to 11-3 overall, and they’ll carry a 5-0 Region 5-AAA record into Tuesday’s home game against Central-Carroll.

It will be the start of the second half of Callaway’s region schedule.

In Saturday’s game, Dre Martin led the way for the Cavaliers with 18 points, Braylon Sanders added 17 points, and Ernest Patillo was also in double figures with 13 points.

Senior Joe Brown added nine points for Callaway.

Valley hung tough with Callaway in the first half.

A strong first-quarter performance helped the Rams take a 14-9 lead, but the Cavaliers responded in the second period to take a 32-31 lead at the half.

“They’re always tough,” Callaway head coach Terry Hayes said of the Rams. “Their guards are quick. They broke our press, got down there and got some easy shots, and we were down seven. There wasn’t really much going on.”

Hayes said Callaway’s defense led to the turnaround in the second quarter.

“We started getting some layups,” Hayes said.

The Cavaliers took control in the third quarter.

Brown got things started by completing a three-point play moments into the second half to give Callaway a 37-33 lead.

When Sanders scored midway through the third quarter, Callaway was on a 9-2 run to build a 43-35 lead.

The Cavaliers continued to pull away, and when junior guard Tamarcus Smith made a 3-pointer at the close of the third period, they had a 56-43 lead.

A Sanders alley-oop dunk on a pass from Martin at the start of the fourth quarter gave the Cavaliers a 58-43 lead, and they extended that lead to 17 moments later when Patillo made two free throws.

The Rams didn’t go away, and they got within 10 with four minutes left in the game, but the Cavaliers were too strong.

Hayes substituted freely throughout the game, and he felt the bench players did a nice job when they were in the game.

“I thought my second team did a good job of holding the lead,” Hayes said. “We’ll need them down the road.”

Reach Kevin Eckleberry at (706) 884-7311 or on Twitter @lagrangesports