South Pointe boys launch late comeback to beat Northwestern on magical senior night
A late surge by South Pointe helped the Stallions overcome a double-digit deficit and beat rival Northwestern 43-41 at home Tuesday night.
Both schools came into the game knowing that the fourth-and-final automatic postseason spot was at stake.
It was a big night for the Stallions, who were also celebrating senior night. However, the good vibes didn’t translate to the game at first.
Northwestern took the lead early, heading into halftime with a 23-15 lead. A quick 5-2 run by the Trojans to open the second half extended their lead to double-digits midway through the third quarter before head coach Melvin Watson called a timeout.
“I thought we were flat,” Watson said. “I thought Northwestern came with a purpose and a sense of urgency. I think they understood the importance of this game tonight, and they showed it. They were more physical than we were in the first half. Their hustle was better than ours. And that’s the thing we talked about at halftime was being more engaged and playing with a sense of urgency.”
South Pointe ratcheted up the defensive pressure following the break, and it manifested itself into forcing Northwestern into some turnovers and tough shots as South Pointe managed to cut its deficit to four heading into the fourth quarter.
Northwestern maintained its lead for most of the fourth, holding a 41-36 lead with less than two minutes left following a South Pointe turnover.
However, senior guard Malachi Marshall forced a turnover off the ensuing Trojan inbound and scored to make it 41-38.
After forcing a stop on defense and using its final timeout to draw up a play, South Pointe sophomore Tre Raymon hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to tie the game at 41.
South Pointe would get another defensive stop on the next defensive possession and tried to call a timeout.
That mistake resulted in a technical foul against the Stallions, meaning two free throws and possession for Northwestern.
What was a heavy feeling of dejection after the technical became raucous energy for South Pointe as fans cheered to rattle the Northwestern free-throw shooter.
It worked as the shooter missed both free throws, but the Stallions weren’t out of the woods yet: Northwestern still had the ball with a chance to take the lead.
However, Northwestern’s shot was blocked by a combination of RJ Hill and Raymon, and the Stallions quickly moved the ball up the court before senior Zantwan “Boss” Nelson was fouled during a layup attempt with 2.2 seconds left on the clock.
Nelson made both of his free throws, and Northwestern’s half-court heave at the buzzer fell just a few inches short as South Pointe fans and players rushed the court to celebrate the 43-41 victory.
Watson couldn’t praise his players enough.
From players who made key defensive plays to those who made the big shots late to players who provided quality minutes off the bench, it was a total team effort for the Stallions and a crucial one for a team who had been 3-9 in games decided by fewer than 10 points.
“I’d say in about six or seven games, we’ve been in situations like that, and we’ve come up short,” Watson said. “It was really good to see the kids kept their composure down the stretch to be able to close the game out and get on the other side. I mean, tonight was a playoff game. For both teams. I thought Northwestern came in and did an excellent job executing their defense and taking advantage of our miscues on defense. It was a good ballgame all the way around. We got lucky with some missed free throws and a missed shot here or there, and we were able to capitalize on some things, and it just feels great to be with this group of young men.”
Junior forward Caymen Finch led the Stallions with 13 points, while Northwestern junior Jaylan Moore led all scorers with 14.
South Pointe (9-16, 3-6) will end its regular season on the road against York, while Northwestern’s (11-14, 2-7) season finale will be at home against Catawba Ridge. Both games tip off on at 7:45 p.m. on Feb. 9.