BY BRIAN HAMILTON
GATLINBURG – It looked as it Gatlinburg-Pittman was going to fade into the abyss after a three-point second quarter, which saw Notre Dame take a 7-point lead into intermission. The Highlanders would not go quietly into the night, however, as Gatlinburg-Pittman outscored the Fighting Irish 22-12 in the third quarter and 16-8 in the fourth quarter to win the Smoky Mountain Christmas Classic 56-45.
“The problem was that we couldn’t make a shot,” Gatlinburg-Pittman coach Rashid Moore said. “We were like 1-for-12 from three at halftime and it didn’t get much better in the third quarter. Once we started making those shots, Ty (Glasper) got going and we were able to amp up our defensive pressure, which we wanted to do earlier in the game, but we couldn’t make a shot. It’s hard to set up a press when you can’t make a shot.”
Ty Glasper (10) goes up for a layup over two Notre Dame defenders. Photo by Brian Hamilton
Gatlinburg-Pittman jumped out to an early 5-0 lead when Wade Whaley converted an old-fashioned three-point play and Craig Huskey was fouled and converted both free throws. Maximo Santiesteban hit a basket to put Notre Dame on the board at 5-2.
Ty Glasper hit a tough driving layup to give the Highlanders a 7-2 lead, but two consecutive baskets by the Fighting Irish, including a three-pointer by Jace Herman, tied the game at 7-7 with 5:15 left in the opening quarter.
Two consecutive baskets by Glasper would give Gatlinburg-Pittman an 11-7 lead, but Walt Wagnon would nail a three to pull Notre Dame to within 11-10. Glasper then answered with another tough layup to put the Highlanders in front 13-10.
The game was knotted at 15-15 with just over one minute left in the first quarter, but Herman hit a jumper with 22 seconds left and the Fighting Irish would take a 17-15 lead into the second quarter.
Notre Dame would open the second quarter on a 6-1 run, as Herman hit a pair of free throws and two baskets for a 23-16 lead. Huskey hit a basket with just over one minute left in the second quarter, which was the first basket the Highlanders had made from the field during the quarter. Glasper missed a shot at the first half buzzer and Gatlinburg-Pittman went to halftime trailing 25-18 after only scoring three points in the period.
“I challenged them to step it up defensively and use better shot selection,” Moore said. “We went in (the locker room), but coming out, I felt like they were focused and no one felt sorry for themselves and they definitely responded.”
Luckily for the Highlanders, Notre Dame only scored eight points during that second quarter stretch.
“We were able to get a few stops, because if they had caught fire, it probably would have gotten too far out of reach,” Moore said of his team’s second quarter drought. “I think we shot it 1-for-9 in that quarter and scored three points. Not good.”
Gatlinburg-Pittman came out strong in the third quarter, as a pair of Whaley layups cut the Irish lead to 29-27 with 5:25 left in the quarter. A three-pointer by Glasper put the Highlanders ahead 30-29, which was the first GP lead since 13-12 in the first quarter.
Notre Dame’s Josh Douglas converted a conventional three-point play to put the Irish up 32-31, but Whaley would answer with a traditional three-point play of his own to give the Highlanders the lead back, at 34-32 with 1:50 left in the third period.
The two teams spent the rest of the third quarter trading leads and ties, but Gatlinburg-Pittman’s Roger Matute hit a corner three at the third quarter buzzer to send the Highlanders into the final period leading 40-37.
Wade Whaley (12) goes up for a layup while Notre Dame’s Walt Wagnon (0) defends and Jace Herman (11) goes up for the block. Photo by Brian Hamilton
Whaley scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, as GP used a 4-0 run to take a 44-37 lead in the first minute of the quarter. Herman — who spent much of the third quarter on the bench in foul trouble — hit a basket to pull the Irish to within 44-40, but Glasper answered with two consecutive baskets to stretch the lead to 48-40.
Herman would foul out of the game on a charging call, as Glasper drew the foul with just over four minutes left.
“When he was in the game, he was definitely a difference-maker,” Moore said of Herman. “He’s good. He didn’t get to show it off, but he can jump too.”
Glasper would make a layup on the other end to push the Highlanders’ lead to double digits, at 50-40 with 3:47 remaining. Gatlinburg-Pittman would go on to win the game 56-45 and win their third consecutive Smoky Mountain Christmas Classic.
Ty Glasper led all scorers with 25 points, along with seven rebounds and six assists. Wade Whaley finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
“Wade definitely played one of his better games of the tournament,” Moore said after the game. “He got back on track for sure. When he’s playing like that, we’re hard to beat.”
Notre Dame was led by Jace Herman’s 18 points, followed by Maximo Santiesteban’s 14.
The Highlanders will face Floyd Central on Thursday, December 26, as they try and win their second consecutive Smoky Mountain Winter Classic title.