Middleton boys end season with loss regional semifinals

The Middleton Tigers boys team’s quest for the gold ball came to an end in Memphis on Tuesday, March 1, with a 77-55 loss to Memphis Mitchell in the Region 8A semifinals at Memphis Northside.
The Tigers were able to keep up with Mitchell for the better part of three quarters, before finally running out of stamina in the final quarter.  Middleton led by one point after the first quarter and Mitchell led by one point at the break, and five points after three quarters before out scoring the Tigers 28-11 in the final stanza for a 22 point 77-55 win.
“We played well out the gate, and played Mitchell evenly for most of the first three quarters,” said Middleton Head Coach James Burkley. “ We missed two assignments late in the third quarter and that changed the tempo of the whole game.”
Montrez Jones led the effort with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Justin Morman and Jacques Gibson added 13 points each.
Middleton finished the season with a record of 22-6.
In spite of the disappointing end to the season, Burkley was pleased with the performance of his team this year.
“Overall we had a great season, 22-6 was an excellent record with the schedule we played. I am really proud of these guys and what they accomplished,” said Burkley.
The Tigers are losing five seniors, Justin Morman, Jacques Gibson, Detric Agnew, Timderous Joy, and Artavious Reaves, but still have reason to be optimistic about next season. Only one of those seniors, Morman was a starter, and there are several younger players with plenty of experience.
“We should be fine next season,” said Burkley.