Brad Dickey was going to do everything he could to help extend the season for the Heritage Academy boys basketball team.
Dickey would have preferred to have played an inside-outside game with center Bobby McGrath against Copiah Academy on Wednesday night, but the senior guard showed he can adapt to changing situations.
With McGrath saddled with foul trouble, Dickey scored 14 points in the first half to help the Patriots build what appeared to be a safe, double-digit lead.
A 10-of-28 effort from the free-throw line prevented Heritage Academy from pulling away, but the Patriots hit just enough from the charity stripe to earn a 48-45 victory in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II tournament at Heritage Academy.
“I knew with him out I had to do something to get our team back in it because he is our big man,” Dickey said. “They had one big guy that was really good (center Ty Quick), so I just tried to take it to him and draw fouls on him. I knew somebody had to step up, and I am a senior, so I figured it had to be me.”
The victory helped the Patriots secure a spot in the overall Class AAA state tournament next week. It also pushed Heritage Academy into the semifinals, where it will play Hillcrest Christian at 7:15 p.m. Friday. The winner of that game will move on to the championship game at 7:15 p.m. Saturday. The loser will play in the consolation game at 6 p.m. Saturday.
For Dickey, who had a team-high 21 points, the decision to take a bigger role after McGrath picked up his second foul with 4 minutes, 40 seconds to go in the first quarter was natural. After all, he and his teammates have had to pick up the slack for injured teammate Parker Dunaway, who will miss the rest of the basketball season with an arm injury.
Dickey did his damage on a variety of moves. He handled the ball at the top of a spread zone offense and broke down his defenders as easily as he has operated off the wing or in transition.
“When they need the most, I try to step up as much as possible, but I don’t think it was to the extent of this game tonight,” Dickey said.
Heritage Academy led 41-24 after a fallaway jump shot by Dickey with 7:30 remaining. But turnovers and missed free throws allowed Copiah Academy to rally. Quick scored nine points in the comeback that saw Copiah Academy cut the deficit to 45-43 with 1:14 to go. After Parker Turner hit 1 of 2 free throws with 35.1 seconds to play to kick the lead to 46-43. McGrath made the defensive play of the game by overplaying Quick’s right shoulder and stealing an entry pass. Dickey hit 1 of 2 free throws with 22.8 seconds left and Lott (19 points) hit 1 of 2 with 2.8 to go to finally seal the deal.
Heritage Academy coach Yandell Harris said the Patriots wanted to push the ball inside and challenge Copiah Academy inside. Without McGrath, the Patriots weren’t able to rely on McGrath, but Harris liked his team’s ability to execute against man-to-man and zone defenses.
“I thought we played a very good first half and a very good third quarter, at times, but when you don’t make free throws and you turn it over as many times as we did, it takes the luster off a pretty fine ballgame that we played,” Harris said.
Harris praised the efforts of Dickey, Lott, and Taylor Fields, who provided valuable minutes off the bench for McGrath.
Harris also encouraged Dickey to be even more assertive, especially late in the game when it is time to end a game.
“That is senior leadership, which is what he gives,” Harris said. “He has to be the one when things get rattled he has to look into his teammates’ eyes and say, ‘We’re OK. Let’s push it, let’s go on,’ which he does.”
NOTE: There was a discrepancy between statistics kept by The Dispatch and the scorers for the game, which explains why there is a difference in the scoring totals for Heritage Academy players.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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