Bearden Rolls Back Into Arby's Semi-Finals

Bearden Rolls Back Into Arby's Semi-Finals
Bearden’s Shemarcus Brown (35) powers up a shot against Mount Bethel in the Arby’s Classic Quarterfinals. Brown was one rebound shy of a double-double for the Bulldogs. TriCitiesSports.com photo by Allen Greene. More photos below and inside the TriCitiesSports.com photo gallery.
by TREY WILLIAMS
TriCitiesSports.com
December 28, 2018

BRISTOL – Bearden is a tall task even when it’s shorthanded.

The Bulldogs' endlessly entertaining backcourt of Trent Stephney (29 points) and Ques Glover (24) combined for 53 points and the Bulldogs raced past Mount Bethel, 82-61, in an Arby’s Classic quarterfinal Friday at Viking Hall.


Bearden was without 6-foot-10 senior perimeter weapon/Tennessee signee Drew Pember (foot) and 6-foot-6 senior post Kordell Kah, who was serving the second of a two-game suspension.

But it seemed like nothing more than more stats for the Bulldogs’ brilliant backcourt mates. Glover, an explosive point guard that shoots well off the dribble, scored 11 points in a two-minute stretch at the end of the second quarter to help Bearden build a 49-36 halftime lead.

Mount Bethel coach Cal Boyd switched athletic sophomore Alex Langford from guarding Glover in the first half to defending Stephney in the second half – and Stephney piled up the points. Pick your poison.

“Give those guys credit,” Boyd said. “They made some tough shots. We’re gonna have to live with some of those shots. They shoot from pretty far out. … If you make those shots you’re probably gonna win a lot of games.”

Glover, who has 22 Division I offers, talks trash to motivate himself and psyche out opponents.

“He was definitely in the zone (at the end of the first half),” Mount Bethel senior guard Coleman Boyd said. “I could definitely tell the basket looked like it was an ocean (to Glover).”

Glover and Stephen are high risk, high reward. Third-year Bulldogs coach Jeremy Parrott is good with that – most of the time.

“Sometimes they’re the most fun group to be around schematically … and sometimes they frustrate the devil out of me,” Parrott said. “But any coach would love to have those two guys. … (Glover) just kind of gets rolling like that. He is capable of that.

“And I’m gonna tell you, we don’t have many kids that work any harder. He’ll be back in the gym every night. He’s dragging my assistant back out every night.”

Bearden (10-3) reached the semifinals last year before losing 58-55 to Columbus (Mississippi) on Robert Woodard’s 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“I’m happy to be back in the Final Four,” Parrott said. “The Arby’s – it means a lot to me personally. I’ve watched it since I was a kid. So anytime you progress and are playing in the later rounds in the late games, it makes you feel good. … These guys are trying their best to win this tournament.”

Glover and Stephney made the all-tournament team last year. They’d prefer a title this time.

“That’d be a major accomplishment for us,” Glover said.

The last team from Tennessee to win an Arby’s Classic was Chris Jones-led Melrose in 2009.

“We’re just trying to make a point this year and win the whole thing,” Stephney said, “be the first team to win from Tennessee in a long time.”
Shamarcus Brown, a 6-foot-5 bruiser, was invaluable for Bearden. He tallied 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.

“Shamarcus played big,” Parrott said. “Without Shamarcus we can’t survive that game.”

Brown even popped out and made trey after a kick-out from Tyler Nordin that gave the ‘Dogs a 67-48 lead with 1:21 left in the third quarter.

“He surprised me, to be quite honest,” Boyd said. “He hit a ‘three.’ Okay, nice shot – I guess. I’m not sure that’s actually his game. 

“But he did use his physicality. He definitely banged our guy around pretty good. They let that go. So give him credit. He got to his left hand in there and he was pretty effective. He had 12 points, which was probably eight more than I thought he was gonna get.”

Mount Bethel was led by 6-foot-8 sophomore Jordan Meka, who scored 23 points and was 10 of 14 from the field. Boyd and Jayce Harrison added 18 and 13 points, respectively.

The Eagles were hurt by the foul trouble of Stanley Eze. He picked up four fouls in the first half. Eze scored a team-high 20 points in Mount Bethel’s first-round win against Sullivan East.

“It definitely hurt our rhythm not having Stanley in there, for sure,” Boyd said.

Notes: Parrott said there’s a chance Pember could make an appearance in the Arby’s tournament. It was initially believed he wouldn’t return before January. … Lincoln Memorial assistant Omar Wattad attended the game. Wattad, Science Hill’s all-time leading scorer, played at Georgetown before transferring to Chattanooga to play for John Shulman. Wattad was a three-time All-Arby’s Classic selection (2004-06) while helping Science Hill finish fourth in 2004 and third in 2005.

MOUNT BETHEL (61) -- Jordan Meka 10-14 3-6 23, Coleman Boyd 6-8 3-3 18, Jayce Harrison 3-7 5-6 13, Stanley Eze 1-7 1-2 3, Alex Langford 2-4 0-1 4, Mason Venable 0-1 0-0 0, Michael Keane 0-0 0-0 0, Perry Schilling 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 22-41 12-18 61.

BEARDEN (82) -- Trent Stephney 11-17 5-6 29, Ques Glove 9-15 1-1 24, Shemarcus Brown 5-9 1-2 12, Tyler Nordin 5-7 0-0 10, Roman Robinson 3-6 0-0 7, A.J. Pruitt 0-0 0-0 0, Izaiah Bredwood 0-1 0-0 0, Keiansay Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 33-57 7-9 82.
 
Mount Bethel
19
17
15
10
-- 61
Bearden
18
31
18
15
-- 82
 
Three-Pointers - Mount Bethel 5-8 (Boyd 3-5, Harrison 2-2, Langford 0-1), Bearden 9-19 (Stephney 2-3, Glover 5-8, Brown 1-2, Nordin 0-1, Robinson 1-3, Pruitt 0-1, Bredwood 0-1). Rebounds - Mount Bethel 22 (Meka 6, Eze 5), Bearen 22 (Brown 9, Nordin 7). Assists - Mount Bethel 8 (Boyd 4, Harrison 4), Bearden 18 (Glover 5, Robinson 5). Steals - Mount Bethel 5 (Harrison 2), Bearden 10 (Stephney 5). Blocks - Mount Bethel 4 (Meka 2, Eze 2), Bearden 5 (Brown 3). Turnovers - Mount Bethel 18, Bearden 8. Total Fouls - Mount Bethel 13, Bearden 20. Technical Fouls - none. Fouled Out - Brown 5).
 
 
 

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