Homewood picks up pair of wins at Steel City
Homewood responded from a loss on Friday night to claim two victories in the opening day of the Steel City Invitational on Saturday, inside the Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University.
The Patriots knocked off Madison Academy, the top-ranked team in Class 3A, in their second game of the day, 76-70. The Mustangs used a 12-0 run late in the fourth quarter to tie the game, but Homewood made free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
Following a setback against Hewitt-Trussville that snapped a nine-game winning streak, Homewood got back on track, especially against the Mustangs, shooting 56% in the game.
"We talked and we challenged them," Homewood coach Tim Shepler said. "They answered the challenge."
Luke Touiliatos put forth an incredible effort, pouring in 34 points and five assists on 12-19 shooting from the field. He went toe-to-toe with Michigan State signee Josh Langford the entire night, as Langford scored a game-high 35 points and pulled down ten rebounds for the double-double.
"He's capable of that," Shepler said of Touiliatos. "When he's in a rhythm and he's got space, he's really good. It was good for him because he got in foul trouble (in the first game), but he got in a rhythm tonight."
Chris Miller was another big component for Homewood, as he scored 16 points. He made eight of ten shots from the foul line. Austin Patterson joined him in double digits, as he scored 13 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out five assists.
In the first game of the day, the Patriots knocked off Jackson-Olin, 60-36.
Ronald Claiborne led the team with 13 points on 4-7 shooting, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc. Chris Miller (11 points) and Austin Patterson (ten points) joined him in double figures.
Logan Padgett brought down a team-high seven rebounds in the game. Center Trey Jemison had a solid effort as well, finishing with a stat line of six points, six boards, and three blocks.
Antonio Jones produced nearly half of his team's output, as he paced Jackson-Olin with 17 points on an efficient 7-10 shooting. Dee'Niyjal Scruggs blocked five shots.
Homewood returns to the court on Monday at 4:30 p.m. in a semifinal game.