Dominant second half pushes Senators past Spartanburg Methodist

MORRISTOWN, TN – Toughness. That's what it came down to for Walters State on Saturday afternoon.

Taking on Spartanburg Methodist, the Senators came out flat in the opening 20 minutes and trailed by five heading into the locker room. During that break, Jerry Nichols challenged his team's toughness to see if they would respond in the second half. 

The Senators did more than respond. 

Walters State came out of the locker room on fire and scored 52 second half points, holding Spartanburg Methodist to just 30 on their way to an 85-68 win.

With the victory, Walters State improved to 3-0 on the season. 

"We talked about our toughness," Walters State coach Jerry Nichols said. "I challenged our toughness. I thought in the first half they were tougher than us. They got wherever they wanted. Our energy level was low. But in the second half, they responded. I'm proud of them." 

One of those players that took his coach's challenge to heart was Jair Horton. In the second half, Horton had seven points and three offensive rebounds as he bullied Spartanburg in the paint. 

"Jair was tough all night," Nichols said. "Jair is a winner. It doesn't matter about points or rebounds for him, he cares about wins and losses. Jair was phenomenal tonight, and we're going to need that from him." 

Another factor for the Senators came at the free throw line as Walters State was 15-18 in the second half and 25-30 for the game. Greg Moore shot 13 free throws, making 12 of them.

"Free throws are all mental but also conditioning," Nichols said. "I think we've done a great job in the preseason in regards to conditioning and making free throws. There were a lot of positives that came from the game." 

Jamar Livingston led all scorers in the game for Walters State with 16 points and had 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Ramondo Battle also had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. 

Other Contributors for Walters State were Micah Simpson with 11 points, Moore with 15 points and five rebounds, Horton with 10 points and four rebounds, JR Jacobs with four points, six rebounds and six assists, Charvez Ambrose with four points and three assists, Jaylon Taylor with five points and Chi Shannon with two points. 

As a team, Walters State shot 44% from the field and had 44 rebounds. The Senators assisted on 20 of 28 made shots.

Defensively, the Senators held Spartanburg to 40% from the field and forced 13 turnovers. 

It was a slow start for Walters State in the game as Spartanburg built a 15-6 lead before Jacobs made a layup and Chi Shannon hit two free throws to calm the storm. 

However, Spartanburg took back control and led 29-18 with just five minutes to go in the half. Battle scored four straight to cut the lead and then Horton had an and-one to answer a Spartanburg three and make it 32-25.

Trying to get momentum into the locker room, the Senators did that as Livingston and Battle hit layups in the final minute of the half to make it 38-33. 

In the second half, the Senators came out hot. Wharton hit a free throw before Battle dropped in a shot. Spartanburg answered with a layup, but Battle hit a three to make it 43-39. Still pushing, the Senators then tied the game at 43 as Wharton dunked one home and Simpson drove in for a layup.

The two teams would battle back and forth for the next few minutes until two Moore free throws and a Moore corner three put the Senators on top, 53-49. 

"I didn't think we shot the ball well in the first half, but in the second half things calmed down for us," Nichols said. "Greg (Moore) had a big one in the corner that he made to put us up. We just went from there." 

Following the Moore three, that's when Horton took over with an and-one and then an offensive rebound and putback to make it 58-49. Moore hit four more free throws after and it was 62-49. 

From there, the Senators would continue to attack and make their free throws as they went on for the big win. Moore had 13 in the second half, while Battled had nine and Livingston had eight. The Senators shot 55% in the final 20 minutes. 

"Spartanburg Methodist is a talented team," Nichols said. "They're tough and physical. They have some really good players. To finally play someone like that and be able to make plays was important. A win like this will hopefully try and jumpstart what we're trying to do."

Up Next:

Walters State will be back in action on Wednesday as they host Georgia Highlands. Tip is set for 5:30 p.m. 

"They're a good team," Nichols said. "It's going to be similar to this one. It's going to be tough and gritty and we're going to have to make plays. I'm looking forward to Wednesday. It's a challenge for us, but this will prepare us for March." 

Rob Harvey

Walters State Community College

Sports Information Director

Cell: (423) 779-8880

Email: sportsinfo@ws.edu

Website: www.ws.edu/athletics