TCS' Phillips goes out in style with 24 points

In his final appearance in the Timberlake Christian School gymnasium, Jon Phillips did almost everything Tuesday night except sell tickets and popcorn.

The 6-1 senior point guard delivered the pre-game prayer, directed traffic on defense, rebounded and then scored 12 of his game-high 24 points in the final period as the Tornadoes pulled away for a 70-57 VIC win over crosstown rival Lynchburg Christian Academy.

With Timberlake (14-7 overall, 6-6 in VIC) nursing a 54-49 lead with 2:25 left, Phillips hit on nine of 10 foul shots in a 90-second period to hold off the Bulldogs (11-10, 6-6).

"It was a fitting end to his home career," said Timberlake coach Charlie Williams. "When we had the lead in the fourth quarter, we wanted to give it to Phillips and let him either drive or shoot the foul shots.

"I think the Lord blessed him, sending him out with a strong last home game. He's such a quality kid."

Phillips, who has been a starter the last three years, got off to a slow start, scoring just five points in the first half. Phillips leads the team with an 18-point average.

"I was a little nervous starting out since it was my last home game," said Phillips. "I finally got into the flow of the game in the second half. I feel relieved because it has been a goal of mine to beat this team."

Sophomore Paul Fitzgerald (12 points) and Jason Spear (18 points) kept the Tornadoes close in the first half until Phillips got untracked.

With LCA's Trent Richardson (19 points) and Chad Jones (12 points) connecting from long range, the Bulldogs bolted to a 30-22 lead late in the second quarter. Jones and Richardson had two 3-pointers each in the opening half and Williams said, "We had things lined up to keep Trent from shooting and then Chad Jones just killed us. We had to make some adjustments at halftime and overall we played much better defense the second half."

Timberlake, which lost at LCA last month 90-57, broke a 38-38 tie on Phillips' fast-break bucket with 3:38 left in the third period. The Tornadoes went on a 11-2 run with Fitzgerald scoring seven straight points before Spear finished it off with a spectacular shot in the lane to beat the third quarter buzzer.

"Down the stretch, we played our game," said Williams. "We got the lead, slowed the pace and then made our foul shots. And we tried to keep it in Phillips' hands."

By Dave Thornton, Staff Writer
Source: The News & Advance