Buchan, Gators keep poise in closing minutes

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on January 11, 2016 1:48 PM

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By RUDY COGGINS

rcoggins@newsargus.com

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek's varsity girls basketball team is finally learning the importance of clock management and how to keep its poise in tight games.

Plus, it's on a historical mission.

Up by a single possession with 21⁄2 minutes to play, the Gators closed out a 58-50 victory over Princeton in Carolina 1-A Conference play Friday evening. Senior Amber Buchan pumped in a game-high 21 points, ending the night a bucket shy of 1,000 for her career.

Buchan will become just the second SC female hoops player to reach the career milestone in program history. Melanique DeVeaux accomplished the feat when Mandy Ramfjord was head coach.

Leading 48-47, the Gators hit a free throw and then converted a crucial play out of their spread offense. Speedy point guard Destiny Sutton drew two defenders as she dribbled into the lane and dished off to a wide-open Tysha Teachey underneath the basket.

Teachey kissed the layup off the glass.

SC led 51-47.

"It did give us a little bit of breathing room and you could see the girls kind of relax a little bit more," Gators head coach Charlie Cotten said. "They had looked at the clock and knew it was close. Normally, that's when we lose a game at that point. Tonight, they looked at the clock differently and said 'let's keep playing,' and that's what they did."

The Gators (4-10 overall) tallied seven of the game's final 10 points and picked up their second league victory of the year.

Sutton and Buchan's backcourt play helped Spring Creek enter halftime with a 29-22 advantage. But that four-possession cushion dwindled on occasion in the second half.

Princeton (5-8 overall, 1-4 CC) talked at the break of getting the ball into Jazmaine McCain's hands. The junior center had a size advantage underneath the basket and she responded with a 10-point, five-rebound quarter.

"She was open a lot in the first half and we had missed her, so when we made the adjustment, we started scoring," PHS head coach Marty Gurganus said. "When we cut it to one, I felt really good about where we were. But we didn't protect the ball after that ... they're very scrappy (and) got some easy baskets because of their defensive pressure.

"I thought in the last 21⁄2 minutes, Spring Creek showed more composure than we did."

McCain ended the night with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. Kortney Edwards and Chelsea Hawley provided nine points apiece.

Sutton knocked down 14 points for SC.