LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jaylon Hall is a solid ballhandler who can knock down free throws, but those aren’t the only reasons Doss High School boys basketball coach Tony Williams trusts him with the ball in pressure-filled situations.
Hall moved from Houston to live with Williams, his uncle, a few years ago and the two have formed a bond off the court.
“If he misses free throws and we don’t win the game,” Williams said with a smile, “when we get home I will put him on punishment.”
Hall had no reason to worry about punishment Thursday. The 6-foot-5 junior guard scored a game-high 23 points and hit 9 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter to help the Dragons seal a 66-57 victory over Lawrence County in the first round of the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena.
MORE COVERAGE |Doss-Lawrence County photo gallery
Hall started as a freshman for Williams at St. Francis during the 2013-14 season before the two moved to Doss last season.
“Ever since my freshman year he’s put the ball in my hands,” Hall said. “He gave me the reins to take care of it and get us through games. I just thank him for giving me the opportunity to do that.”
Laron Hargrove and Stephon Franklin both added 10 points for Doss (28-5), No. 14 in the state in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings. The Dragons advanced to the Sweet 16 quarterfinals for the second straight season and will face the Mason County-Taylor County winner at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Doss couldn’t find its rhythm from 3-point range Thursday (2 of 16) but dominated the boards (39-24) and outscored Lawrence County 30-20 in the paint.
“They’re long, they’re athletic and they’re great offensive rebounders,” Bulldogs coach Travis York said of Doss. “I felt like we played the best defensive half we’ve had all year in the first half, but we couldn’t keep them off the boards. … That was something we definitely knew would be trouble for us.”
Timmy Dalton had 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals to lead Lawrence County (29-5), which was playing in the Sweet 16 for the first time. The Bulldogs entered as the highest-scoring team in the state at 79.8 points per game.
“We knew going in they would not go away, not matter what we did,” Williams said of Lawrence County. “I’m grateful to have survived against such a worthy opponent.”
Doss appeared to be rolling after Stephon Franklin’s tip-in gave the Dragons a 19-10 lead at the 5:24 mark of the first quarter. The Bulldogs tied the score at 19 before Doss scored the final four points for a 23-19 halftime lead.
Despite a 25-8 halftime advantage on the boards, Williams was unhappy with his team’s execution, especially the 10 turnovers.
“We have a lot to fight for and a lot to be motivated about, and I was just upset that they didn’t take that motivation and use it to their advantage against Lawrence County in the first half,” Williams said.
Robert Dalton’s 3-point play gave Lawrence County a 46-45 lead with 5:43 left, but Doss ripped off nine straight points for a 54-46 edge on Hargrove’s basket with 3:42 remaining.
Timmy Dalton’s layup pulled the Bulldogs within 57-55 with 1:40 left, but Austin Chaffins was called for a controversial intentional foul at the 1:29 mark. Franklin hit both free throws for a 59-55 lead, helping the Dragons close the game with a 9-2 surge.
“I was trying to figure out the line between fouling and getting the call and an intentional foul,” York said. “We were having a struggle to figure out that line. I guess it was because we fouled from behind.”
On Friday, Doss will try to qualify for the Sweet 16 semifinals for the first time since 1985.
“We’re not satisfied with where we are,” Williams said. “We got the jitters out in this first game, and that was to be expected for the guys who haven’t been here before.”
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.
| Doss | 11 | 12 | 20 | 23 | – | 66 |
| Lawrence Co. | 8 | 11 | 24 | 14 | – | 57 |
Doss (28-5) – Hargrove 10, Bryant 7, Hall 23, K. Knight-Goff 8, Franklin 10, Maddox 2, Anderson 6.
Lawrence County (29-5) – Kiser 6, R. Dalton 12, Chaffins 6, T. Dalton 16, Richardson 15, Moore 2.
3-point goals – Hall 2; R. Dalton, Chaffins, T. Dalton, Richardson 5.