Tornadoes News
03.04.2009 - Men's Basketball

Uniontown,PA- Talladega advance to the National semi-finals with 71-44 victory over Marygrove College.

The first two minutes the very talented Tornadoes started timid and found themselves down 7-1. A quick timeout by Head Coach Matt Cross got the Tornadoes out of there funk and for the next 38 minutes they showed why they have beaten 5 division one teams and could contend for the NAIA Division national championship if they were elgible this year. The Tornadoes playing without sharpshooting junior guard Micah Hagans used there strong inside presence of 7'1 senior All American Jeral Davis and 6'10 junior Patrick Rodgers to score at will over the over matched Mustangs. The Tornadoes talented backcourt led by junior guards Tarium Taylor, Ramondo Banks and super quick freshman Donnell Pope determined not to be out shined by there big men, showed why they are a talented group themselves by continuously beating the Marygrove's guards off the dribble and scoring in transition. The very athletic Tornadoes took a 36-26 lead at the break.  
Tornadoes wanted to come out in the second half and send a statement to every team in the tournament, and by the response of the crowd and the buzzing around Uniontown afterwards the Tornadoes let everybody know that they are here to take the title with them back to Alabama. The Tornadoes picked up there defensive pressure to start the second half and looked like a track team in transition continously running there fast break to perfection. The Tornadoes were getting easy basket after easy basket whether it was a transition basket by Banks, a dunk by Davis, a three by Taylor or a post up move by Rodgers the Mustangs didn't have an answer. With twelve minutes left in the game Tornadoes had increased there lead to twenty points. The Tornadoes lead reached as high as 33, before closing out the game and winning respectively 71-47. 
The Tornadoes were led in scoring by Banks with 16 points, Davis had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Taylor had 15 points to balance out the explosive Tornadoes attack. 
The Tornadoes advance to the semifinals where they face a tough Southern Virginia University team Friday at 1pm