Garner nails game-winning shot for Goldsboro's girls

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on December 3, 2014 1:48 PM

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aetzler@newsargus.com

PIKEVILLE -- Destini Covington jogged to the bench after picking up her fifth foul.

She would have to watch this one unfold from the sidelines -- not on the court like she is accustomed to doing. With Covington on the bench and all eyes on the Cougars' leading scorer Tyona Moses, this was the chance for someone else to make a play.

With the ball at the top of the key, Moses drew the attention from the Charles B. Aycock defense and found a wide-open Markia Garner underneath the basket. Garner hit the shot with under 20 seconds remaining as the Cougars handed the Golden Falcons their first loss of the season 51-49.

It was Garner's only made field goal. She finished with three points.

"A lot of the focus is on me and Tyona, so it was nice to see the rest of the girls step up when I came out," said Covington, who finished with 17 points -- including a 3-point shot that banked in off the glass as the third-quarter buzzer sounded.

"These girls know that if they need me I got them, and they showed me when I need them they got me."

Before Garner's layup, either Covington or Moses had scored the last 25 Cougars points. Garner was the only other Cougars player to score in the second half.

Head coach Latina Bullock called a timeout with about a minute and a half remaining after the Golden Falcons changed from their 3-2 zone and went in to a man-to-man defense. During the timeout, Bullock prepared a play for the man-to-man, and the Golden Falcons coaches deliberated and decided to go back in to the zone.

"We didn't want (Moses) to be able to spread us out as much and drive to the basket," Aycock head coach Roy Harrell said of the decision to go back to the zone.

Bullock was happy to tell Moses to stand at half court and dribble out the clock for the last shot. Harrell told guard Taylor Daniels to go pressure the ball, so they would have a chance to get the ball back. Moses dribbled by Daniels and found Garner unguarded, but the Golden Falcons had a chance to tie.

A shot from Myleah Jones rimmed out, and then after missed free throws by the Cougars, the Golden Falcons had nine seconds remaining. But Moses' long arms interrupted the inbounds pass, and CBA never got the ball past half court for a last second chance.

Harrell contended the Golden Falcons beat themselves with a 19 of 36 effort at the free throw line -- well below their season average of 65 percent. They were in the double bonus with two minutes left in the third quarter and many of their missed free throws came on the front end of one-and-one opportunities.

"If we shoot our average from the line, we win by 10," Harrell said.

Most of the fouls were due to a Goldsboro team, that wasn't quite in as good shape as CBA. The Golden Falcons guards ran by Goldsboro defenders who stuck out a hand in hopes of poking the ball away, but were called for a foul instead.

Goldsboro continues to build its game shape. The basketball goals are getting repaired in the school's gym, so the girls' team is practicing on a smaller, non-regulation court at Wayne Academy.

"It's a little frustrating (to not have our whole gym) but I was determined that we were going to get done what we needed to get done," Bullock said.