Touliatos takes over late to lift Patriots
Luke Touliatos is certainly not afraid of the big stage.
He proved that in a mighty way, scoring nine straight points to break open a game that was tied with 1:50 to go, as Homewood defeated Huffman, 64-51, in the Class 6A State Semifinals on Wednesday afternoon at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena.
“I knew it was tied and it was close and we needed some type of push,” Touliatos said. “When (Huffman) put the full court press on, I decided I was going to try to get to the rim every time.”
He did just that. He drove the lane and converted an and-one. He sank a pair of free throws. He drove the length of the court again and scored. He sank another pair of free throws for good measure.
Touliatos’ personal 9-0 run came after Huffman’s Decorian Ayers tied the game at 51-all with 2:34 to play. At that point, the Viking defense extended, and the junior took full advantage.
“When I broke the initial press, I saw the floor open up and a chance to attack,” he said. “And once I got in the lane, I saw it open up even more and I had a chance to go to the rim.”
Those nine points were just part of an overall dynamic performance, as Touliatos scored 31 points with five rebounds in the game. His ability to attack the basket was crucial for the Patriots on Wednesday.
“Luke is a very special player in the open court,” Homewood head coach Tim Shepler said. “When he’s in the open court, he knows he’s got a chance to go make a play. He did it. He’s done it all year, and he did it again today.”
Homewood (30-5) has had a tendency to play tight games all year, which is not Shepler’s preference. But as long as the Patriots win, he’ll take it.
“We keep playing these games where we have to come from down and we keep fighting and competing,” he said. “These guys say never say die. I know from a fan’s standpoint it’s probably a great, great game to watch. From our standpoint, we just wish it wasn’t like this all the time.
“But you know what? It’s really sweet for these guys.”
The two teams made up for a slow third quarter with back-and-forth action in the fourth quarter, as the two teams exchanged the lead multiple times before the final two minutes.
Huffman (26-6) sophomore Myreon Jones scored 13 points and had four rebounds and two assists in the game. He broke a tie with a pair of free throws with 5:41 to play. But the next time down the floor, Touliatos buried a three, as the Patriots took a 39-38 lead.
Following a Huffman turnover, Trey Jemison made his presence known, size-17 shoe and all. The 6-foot-10 sophomore fought for a rebound off a miss and muscled it back up and in while being fouled to put the Patriots up three. Jemison finished the game with six points and 11 boards.
Jones hit a pair of free throws with 3:10 remaining to give Huffman its final lead at 47-46.
Senior guard Ronald Claiborne was a catalyst for the Patriots early in the game, and he hit four three-pointers in the contest to finish with 14 points.
“The past few days in practice Coach has told me I’m going to get some open looks and I’m going to make them. So after practice, I’ve been getting in a couple extra shots getting ready for the game.”
Fellow senior Peyton Brown contributed just a three-pointer in the score column, but picked up an important nine rebounds. Austin Patterson scored four points, but had five assists, three rebounds, and four steals.
Huffman placed four scorers in double digits. Lautaurus Carroll led the Vikings with 14 points, while Ayers and Travarus Carroll each scored 11.
Homewood reached the Final Four a season ago, before falling. This time around, the Patriots advance to the State Final for the first time since 2010, making it a fresh experience for each player on the team.
“It’s new for our guys,” Shepler said. “For us, it’s just a matter of staying hungry and doing what we’ve done all year. It’s exciting and special for these guys.”
The Patriots will take on Muscle Shoals on Saturday at 2:15 p.m., in the Class 6A State Final. Muscle Shoals knocked off Carver-Montgomery on a game-winning shot at the buzzer earlier Wednesday.