Wooten torches nets for 35 points, Dogs upend Gators in double-OT

By Cam Ellis
Published in Sports on January 30, 2015 1:48 PM

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cellis@newsargus.com

PRINCETON -- The signs pointed to an upset all night.

Missed shots from Spring Creek.

Clutch baskets from Princeton players forced to play extra minutes due to foul trouble.

Two missed free throws by Brandon Gonzalez with less than 10 seconds left after he had hit 11 straight.

Then came "the shot" -- the surest sign of all.

With three seconds left, Princeton forward Michael Wooten rose up over two defenders and drained a 3-pointer, which sent the game into overtime. After two four-minute extra sessions, the Bulldogs stunned the Gators, 69-65, in a mentally- and physically-draining Carolina 1-A Conference game.

Wooten's dramatic 3 -- actually more of a heave -- led to a season-high 35 points. He dominated Spring Creek's forwards down on the block in the first half, and then stayed outside on the perimeter in the second half. He was the lone Bulldog to score in double figures, but six teammates did scratch on the scoring sheet.

"We ran through our offense," he said. "We calmed down and didn't rush through it. When you do that, it just sort of comes to you."

Princeton's season has been defined by close losses and unfulfilled expectations. Nothing helps ease the pain better than a victory over a top 1-A team.

"We have felt the whole year that we're much better than our record," Princeton coach Jeff Davis said. "We just haven't been able to win close games. We've lost 10 games by less than 10 points, so to win a close one like this was big."

Gonzalez led the Gators with 20 points. Trey Hammonds added 19 points, but foul trouble kept him on the bench during the crucial final minutes when Spring Creek could have used his shooting. Hammonds had scored 11 fourth-quarter points, with nine coming on 3-pointers.

The Gators relied on Gonzalez for pivotal baskets down the stretch. The guard struggled and gave the ball away on a handful of different out-of-control drives to the basket. His two missed free throws set up Wooten's heroics and led to Spring Creek's second double-OT loss within an eight-day stretch.

"We knew coming into the game that (Princeton) was very big and very strong," Gators' coach Taylor Jones said. "Jeff is really good at what he does and they executed their game plan well.

"I just thought Princeton played really well, to be honest."

Spring Creek faces Neuse Charter at "The Swamp" today.

"We can play a lot better," Jones said. "And we'll try to ride the momentum of the second half into the game tomorrow."