Antarius McCoy, Central prevail over Southwest in thriller
It took two overtimes, but Central outlasted Southwest 80-76 in GHSA Region 2-AAA play Saturday afternoon at Southwest.
Antarius McCoy scored six of his 27 points in the second overtime to lift the Chargers (16-2, 9-1 region).
Southwest led 30-29 at the half thanks mainly to the dominant play of Justin Slocum, who scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Central's 3-of-16 effort from the 3-point line. But Central came out in the third quarter focused on getting the ball inside to Kentrevious Jones, and the plan paid off.
Jones scored 12 points in the third quarter to help the Chargers grab a 50-46 lead heading into the final eight minutes of regulation.
Southwest opened the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run, keyed by two 3-pointers by Aaron Ridley, to take a 54-52 lead, but Derrick Evans scored five points in a 7-0 Chargers run to give Central a 59-54 lead.
Slocum, who finished with 18 points and 19 rebounds, fouled out seconds later, but the Patriots (13-5, 9-2) did not quit. They caught Central at 63 with 18 seconds left on a Nick Hargrove basket. Central got the lead back on two free throws by Evans, but Hargrove calmly sank two free throws with seven seconds left to send the game to overtime.
The first overtime saw Southwest take the lead at 69-68 on a Ridley 3-pointer. The Patriots pushed the lead to four at 73-69, but Evans drained a 3-pointer to cut the Patriots' lead to one. After Hargrove made one free throw with seven seconds left, Evans drove the length of the court and scored at the buzzer to tie the game yet again.
McCoy hit 4-of-6 free throws in the second overtime to give Central a 78-76 lead. Hargrove had a decent look at a 3-pointer late, but it rimmed out and Central reclaimed possession and added two insurance points.
FIVE WHO MATTERED
Evans: The Chargers' point guard had 21 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, picking up two huge baskets to push the game into a second overtime.
Jones: A force in the middle in the second half, Jones finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
McCoy: Scored 16 of his game-high 27 points in the first half.
Slocum: The Southwest leader scored 18 points and grabbed 19 rebounds but fouled out midway through the fourth quarter.
Hargrove: Scored 31 points for Southwest and did the brunt of the damage for the Patriots after Slocum fouled out.
OBSERVATION
The crowd started off not quite to capacity, but attendance swelled during the game. By the time the second half started, the gym was loud and full.
ALSO SATURDAY
Central kept pace in the Region 2-AAA girls race with a 70-40 win over Southwest. JeNya Wilder led the way with 22 points, while Renesha Goolsby added 18 for the Chargers (11-5, 9-1), who host first-place Kendrick on Tuesday. Toniya Hurst and Alizeya Mitchell both had 12 for Southwest (3-15, 2-9).
THEY SAID IT
Central head coach Andre Taylor on Evans' performance in the first overtime: "He said he wanted the ball in his hands at the end, and we gave it to him and he scores twice to keep us in the game. That is exactly what we want from a senior."
Taylor on the performance of his team: "I was so proud of every single guy that played minutes in this game because they all gave it everything they have. Three games in five days is not easy, but we came through it like we have to if we want to win the region."
Evans on the quality of basketball in Macon: "Everyone we play is great now. It has improved so much since I was a freshman. Every time we play a Macon school it's a tough game, and Southwest is very good. It was a great game to be a part of."
Southwest coach Robert Worthy on his team's performance after Slocum fouled out: "This team grew up in this game. We faced adversity when he fouled out, and we dug deeper and went harder and had opportunities to win the game. But there are no good losses.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Both teams play again Tuesday. Central hosts Kendrick, while Southwest hosts Peach County.
This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 7:47 PM.