Spring Creek's season ends in overtime

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on March 3, 2015 1:48 PM

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rcoggins@newsargus.com

SEVEN SPRINGS -- It's a play Spring Creek runs in practice almost every day.

Four seconds on the clock.

Tre Hammonds gets the inbounds pass, counts his steps and launches a 3-pointer. Sometimes, it's "bank." Sometimes, the teller window is closed.

It was the latter Monday evening.

Hammonds' last-second heave from well beyond the 3-point arc bounced off the rim as the horn sounded to end regulation against South Creek. Four minutes later, the Gators' season concluded with a heart-wrenching, 75-68 overtime loss to the Cougars in their second-round game in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A boys' basketball playoffs.

"That last play, we hadn't used it yet, but we had it in the bag," SC head coach Taylor Jones said. "I thought when it left his hand, it looked good. It was great.

"Tre, oh man, he read it perfect as far as a time goes. He got it (up) on the very last step. I know it's not the difference in the game, but it was a great look ... an opportunity we wanted after getting the stop we wanted (on defense)."

South Creek's bench sighed in relief when Hammonds' shot missed the mark and the red light flashed behind the scoreboard. The Cougars took command from there with Aaron Little and Brandon Battle connecting on back-to-back 3-pointers on two of their first three offensive possessions to start the OT.

Little and Battle combined for 35 points, including 24 from behind the arc.

"The guy (Little) that hit the 3, he had missed a couple and had been forcing (his shot), seemed reluctant and didn't want to shoot any more," South Creek head coach Daryl Pittman said. "I said 'son, good shooters don't ever quit. I believe in you and you've got to believe in yourself.'"

South Creek (16-8 overall) stayed in control and denied Spring Creek its first trip to a sectional final since 2006.

Each team built seven-point leads, but couldn't hold the advantage. Players scrambled on the floor for loose balls and those hustle plays ultimately led to baskets or trips to the free throw line.

Battle's 3-pointer pushed the Cougars in front 56-54 as the fourth quarter began to wind down. Hammonds (20 points) tied the game at 56-56 on two free throws with 2:23 to go and Battle drained another 3-pointer to make it 59-56.

Chad Spurgeon pumped his fist and the Gator Crazies roared their approval after the senior drained a game-tying 3-pointer from the corner. After another Cougar basket, Spurgeon came up with the #SCTop10 play of the game -- a tipped ball at midcourt that landed in Gary Williams' hands and led to the game-tying layup.

"I liked our heart," Pittman said. "They've never gave up, kept their intensity and played together. Everything I had heard about Spring Creek was true -- gutsy kids who had played together since they were sophomores.

"Nobody wanted to give up ... both teams left everything out there on the court."

It marked the final contest for nine Spring Creek seniors -- Brandon Gonzalez, who battled foul trouble but finished with 16 points; Hammonds, Williams (12 points), Spurgeon (16 points), Malik Mitchell, Jordan Hicks (10 rebounds, seven blocked shots), DaShawn Braswell, Jackson Pulley and Justin Cianfarra.

The group helped Spring Creek tie a single-season record for wins (21) set by the 2004 team. They also became the seventh different team in school history to win a regular-season conference championship.

A misty-eyed Jones exited the locker room.

The seniors stayed behind, their emotions overflowing as they gathered in a corner together -- a brotherhood that won six games as sophomores, 12 games as juniors and now 21 as seniors.

"We played a heckuva ballgame, just couldn't make any shots ... dead in the second quarter," said Jones, whose team trailed 31-24 at halftime. "I thought they just made more plays than we did, especially in overtime. They came out strong to start."