BOYS' BASKETBALL: Bulldogs fall in OT

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on January 14, 2017 11:26 PM

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jhayes@newsargus.com

PRINCETON -- On Thursday evening, Princeton varsity boys' basketball coach Jeff Davis expressed this thought on his Twitter feed: "Huge back-to-back wins last night and tonight. Trying to make it three in a row tomorrow at home versus Lakewood."

A desolate third quarter, however, followed by a torrid bit of Leopard jump shooting, denied Princeton its chance to file three straight Carolina 1-A victories.

And the result -- a heartbreaking, 71-66 overtime loss -- wore on the head coach's face long after Friday night's final buzzer sounded.

"We made mistakes," Davis said with a hush. "Mental errors."

But not from the outset, as his troops spaced the floor and patiently passed their way to a 14-10 advantage after eight minutes. The effort -- a nuanced bit of X and O work -- extended through the second stanza as well, forcing Lakewood to foul en masse and sending PHS to the charity stripe an astonishing 15 times.

At the break, the Bulldogs held a 28-16 advantage.

Then the third period arrived.

Lakewood found the handle to its transition throttle early in the stanza, scoring six points in rapid-fire succession and creating whispers of uneasiness throughout Deacon Jones Gymnasium.

In conjunction with the outburst, Princeton began accumulating fouls and committing turnovers -- a development that only fueled Lakewood's newfound fluidity.

And when Leopard star guard Johnny Owens -- held to just eight points on the evening -- capped the frenzy with a buzzer-beating triple from the left wing, Lakewood led 39-35 entering the final quarter.

But in spite of the deficit, Princeton refused to go quietly.

Returning to their opening-half form, the Bulldogs replied with brand-name, blue-and-gold toughness, launching a 17-10 run that saw them take a 52-51 lead with just over a minute remaining.

Cue Lakewood's Quamaine Williams.

Following two free throws by Princeton's Earl Gibson, Jr. with 27 seconds remaining, the guard put a button on his 15-point second half with a game-tying triple from 23 feet. When Princeton's Colby Sullivan missed from near half-court at the buzzer, overtime was officially in session.

Which meant another stage for Williams.

The senior was electric in the extra period, scoring bucket after bucket and controlling play on both ends. His 26 points were a game-high -- and by all means necessary for Lakewood to collect its second Carolina 1-A victory of the season.

Not that the guard's individual exploits mattered to Davis, whose team simply allowed too much Leopard pace over the final 20 minutes.

"I told our guys... the only way they beat us is by running," the coach said. "And they scored 55 points in the second half."

Lakewood (4-6 overall, 2-3 CC) also received 13 points from Jake Perez. Owens, William Peete and forward Cameron Sessoms filed eight points apiece.

Princeton (7-8, 2-4) was paced by Austin Sullivan, who hustled for 21 points and five boards. Sophomore Colby Sullivan netted 16 points, including three triples. Gibson, Jr. contributed 13 points and a pair of boards, while Ryan Woodard filed eight points and four glass wipes on the night.