Lakers use foul shot advantage for overtime win at PCHS

By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer

GUILFORD — A Dec. 11 interclass contest between Class C North Piscataquis Community High School and Class D South Greenville High School turned into a game of free throw shooting.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

APPROACH THE BENCH — Greenville sophomore Noah Pratt tips the ball back into play away from PCHS sophomore Damyan True, with Laker senior Tim White and Pirate sophomore Bryce Gilbert both diving onto the court. The Dec, 11 contest saw the visiting Lakers overcome a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to set up overtime, during which Greenville had a 13-6 scoring advantage to win 60-53.

After a hot and cold streak by the Pirates at the line in the fourth quarter enabled the Lakers to force overtime — despite trailing by 10 with about two minutes to go — the visitors took advantage of an 8-3 edge in trips to the charity with the two teams both in the double bonus during the extra four minutes. Greenville went 11-of 16 from the line to outscore PCHS 13-6 in overtime to earn a 60-53 comeback victory, the first of the season for the 1-1 Lakers.

The fourth quarter began with the Pirates, who fell to 0-3, ahead by eight at 31-23. Greenville quickly cut the deficit to one at 31-30 before PCHS built a 45-35 after going 8-of-8 from the free throw line in the quarter.

With 1:12 left on the clock, and the score 45-37, Laker head coach Bill Foley was whistled for a technical after voicing his displeasure over a lack of a foul call at the offensive end to the official. At the other end both awarded foul shots attempts were no good as the Pirates failed to capitalize.

Greenville responded as junior Matt Mendes sank a 3-pointer from the left corner. A call for a foul was whistled on this shot, and Mendes sank the ensuing free throw to complete the four-point play and cut the eight-point deficit in half with less than a minute to go. The foul also put the Lakers in the double-bonus, with the visitors equaling the distinction of the home team.

PCHS junior Bryce Gilbert, who led all players with 29 points, was fouled on a reach-in, and he converted a pair of free throws to extend his team’s lead to 47-41.

A mere seven seconds later Greenville sophomore Nick Foley connected from behind the line to make the contest a single possession game at 47-44.

A intentional foul on the Lakers gave the Pirates two free throws, but both missed the mark as the team’s lead stayed at three points. Another foul stopped the clock, and Greenville’s strategy worked as the first shot was off, and a retry following a Laker lane violation was also no good.

With four seconds on the clock, Foley hoisted a deep three that tied the game at 47 points apiece — the first time since the score was 0-0 in which both teams were even. Foley had a trio of 3-points in the fourth quarter, part of 11 in the eight-minute session and a team-high 20 points.

The drama was not over after Foley’s shot, when a call for a foul at the buzzer gave the Pirates two opportunities for the winning point. The first try was no good and the second free throw was also off to set up overtime as PCHS missed its last nine attempts from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, going 2-of-11 after the 8-of-8 start.

Foley began overtime with another 3-pointer, he had four in the last 12 minutes of play, to give Greenville its first lead of the entire game at 50-47.

The mutual double-bonus continued past regulation as Foley was fouled at the 2:48-mark. He made both shots to up the advantage to 52-47.

Later the Lakers would sandwich a pair of points around a pull-up jumper by PCHS sophomore Ben Morrill to keep the lead at five. With 1:09 remaining, Gilbert was fouled on a block and he made both awarded shots to change the score to 54-51.

Greenville senior Tim White was fouled on a hold on the next possession. White made both his free throws to give his team a 56-51, multiple possession. In overtime White ended up getting fouled five times, and he shot 7-of-10 from the line for over half of the 13 Laker points in the extra session.

Both teams followed by missing a pair of foul shots before Laker sophomore Evan Bjork’s foul shot upped the lead to 57-51 with 42.2 seconds to go. His second attempt bounced off the rim, but sophomore Connor DiAngelo grabbed the offensive rebound and passed to White who was quickly fouled on a hold.

White made shot No. 1 and then shot No. 2 to increase the lead to 59-51. A put-back by Morrill at the other end gave PCHS two more points, but another Pirate hold on White gave him the opportunity for more free throws.

White made his first shot for what would be the 60th and final Laker point. White’s shooting helped his team go 11-of-16 from the line in overtime. The Pirates only had six such shot attempts in bonus play, and the team finished 2-of-6 from the line.

The two squads are scheduled to play again in Greenville on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 7 p.m.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

ONE ARM ON ONE — Greenville junior Matt Mendes puts up a shot over the reach of PCHS sophomore Damyan True during the interclass contest on the evening of Dec. 11.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

FULL EXTENSION — PCHS senior Ben Morrill shoots over Greenville sophomore Nick Foley as Laker senior Tim White awaits a possible rebound opportunity during Friday night’s game in Guilford.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Greenville 60,  PCHS 53 (OT)
GHS 5 11 7 24 13 | 60
PCHS 9 11 8 19 6 | 53

Greenville: Foley 20,
White 11, DiAngelo 11,
Mendes 10, Pratt 4, 
Degnan 2 and Bjork 2.

PCHS: Gilbert 29, Kane 8,
Morrill 6, True 6,
Drew 2 and Leavitt 2.
Records: GHS 1-1; 
PCHS 0-3