Columbia coach Steve Faulkner was beside himself.
After his team led by 14 points, he watched Palatka cut the deficit to eight late in the first half. Then he witnessed Zamarion Jones commit a foul with just seconds remaining in the first half.
Faulkner immediately took a seat in the last chair at the edge of the bench. After his players went to the locker room, he didn’t even immediately go in. When he did, his message was short and quick.
“I didn’t have much to say, but I got my point across,” Faulkner said.
His team listened.
The Panthers scored the first bucket of the third quarter to pull within four but the Tigers answered with a 10-0 run and led by double digits for most of the second half before coming away with a 73-61 win in the Tigers’ Den on Wednesday night. It was Columbia’s best offensive performance of the season, eclipsing the 70 points scored in the season-opening win over The Rock.
Marlin Haywood scored a team-high 14 points off the bench, which included two 3-pointers, to help the Tigers (5-5) bounce back from Tuesday’s 59-50 road loss to Vanguard. Gavin Broomfield added 12 points, eight assists and three steals off the bench, while Jalen Gaskins finished with 11 points, Zamarion Jones had nine points, and Murkail Cray chipped in with eight points to go with five steals.
Faulkner called it a good confidence boost heading into the next two games at the Capital City Classic.
“I like to see us put the ball in the hole,” Faulkner said. “I think it’s a great way for these guys to go into these next two games seeing the ball go through the hole. It helps build a little bit of confidence. I’ve been trying build it on my own but I think that is stronger than I am.”
The strong offensive effort came on the right night because Tommy Offord led the Panthers (1-6) with 24 points, including six 3-pointers. Palatka also got 17 points off the bench from Dequan Jackson and 16 more from Ja’Quon Lewis.
Offord was Faulkner’s biggest concern entering the contest, which made the Panthers’ run at the end of the first half all that much more worrisome. He knew Offord could deliver Palatka a win if the game stayed close late.
“They went on an 8-0 run and I think we reverted back to some selfish tendencies, not doing what they’ve been asked,” Faulkner said of the end of the first half. “I feel like every time we take a couple of steps forward we take a couple of steps backward and revert back to the old way, the way they think we need to play instead of doing what Coach Faulkner says to do. When they do the things I want to do, we put up 73. I knew (Offord) is really dang good, and I knew if we let them hang around he’s good enough to beat you by himself.”
Faulkner even shook up the starting lineup to start the second half. He replaced Jones and Gaskins with Tucker Floyd and Broomfield to go with Zavian Douglas, Shaheed White and Cray. It paid off with a 16-5 run to open the period, which included six points from Broomfield and a 3-pointer from Floyd.
“I thought that group did a great job stretching (the lead) back out,” Faulkner said.
Offord never got the chance to pull out a win for his team, despite Palatka cutting Columbia’s lead to six and then seven at two different points in the fourth quarter. But after the Panthers pulled within 63-56, the Tigers ended the game on a 10-5 run that saw Gaskins score six of the points that were part of an 8-point fourth quarter.
It ended a sentimental night for Gaskins, who is set to have shoulder surgery Friday and will miss the rest of the season. The senior forward suffered a labrum tear during football season in the last regular-season game, which requires a six to eight month recovery.
“I just wish I could finish out the whole season and help the team get as far as we can,” Gaskins said.
Faulkner says he told the Tigers they needed to play even harder for Gaskins on Wednesday.
“I told them before the game that this one is for him because in reality this is his last high school basketball game,” Faulkner said. “He’ll still be around with us but it was his last chance to put on the jersey and get on that court, so I’m happy he had eight (points) in that fourth quarter to go out on a good note.”
Columbia still has two more games this week as part of a four-game stretch in four days. The Tigers travel to Tallahassee for the Capital City Classic beginning Thursday where they’ll face Rickards at 8:30 p.m. before playing Lincoln on Friday at 3:15 p.m.
“I think we’ve got time to be tired on Saturday,” Faulkner said. “I know my wife probably disagrees with me when I say we’re not tired right now, but we’ll be fine. They’re young, they’re resilient and they’ll bounce back.”