The Rip City Rangers

Patterson bomb indicative of these Scots

Jackson Garner applies the defense against Covenant during a recent game.

By Stefan Cooper
Editor
Blount Press Row

The way the crowd roars.

There’s just something different about it over at the college.

Take Logan Patterson’s deep strike in the win over Covenant last week for example.

With the Maryville College Scots surging late in the opening half, freshman guard Javi Russell cut for the basket. The defense went with him. At the last second, Russell whipped the ball behind his head to a waiting Patterson, standing unattended at the head of the key.

A former state champion and state tournament MVP at Section High (Ala.) — dude dropped 36 and grabbed 13 boards in the championship game — Patterson didn’t miss. When the deep 3 swished, the Maryville student section went wild. So did the Scots, who tore clear en route to a 77-55 win in the Collegiate Conference of the South contest.

The red-hot Scots (15-5) return to action at Cooper Athletic Center in a pair of doubleheaders with the Maryville women’s team this weekend.

Long-time rival LaGrange comes calling at Randy Lambert Court on Friday, with the women’s game tipping at 5 p.m., the men to follow.

Saturday, the Huntingdon Hawks fly in for a pair. The women get things started at 2.

Patterson isn’t the only Scot who can drop bombs for Maryville this season. Four players — Reed Kemp (18.0 points per game), Chase Morgan (13.4), Jackson Garner (11.5) and R.J. Simmons (10.2) — hit the weekend averaging in double figures.

Two others — Daryl Rice and Simon Wilbar — are just under the double at nine.

If you’re a Scots fan, and even if you’re not, these guys are really worth a look.