Robert Perea
After claiming their first postseason win in six years over Wooster on Feb. 9, a late comeback wasn’t enough for the Churchill County High School boys basketball team in the Northern 3A Regional semifinals Friday night against Spring Creek.
The Greenwave battled back from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter to briefly take a 2-point lead in the fourth, before the Spartans pulled away down the stretch for a 50-43 win.
“I think they might have run out of gas down the stretch,” Fallon coach Andrew Brown said.
Spring Creek led by 10 early in the third quarter before the Greenwave began to claw their way back, cutting the lead to 34-31 at the end of the third quarter. Fallon’s momentum continued to start the fourth quarter, with consecutive fast-break baskets by Wyatt Peak and Calin Anderson putting Fallon on top 35-34. A free throw by Maxton Richardson made it 36-34, and after the teams traded baskets, the Greenwave were up 38-36 with 4:37 left in the game.
But Spring Creek’s Hudson Sorenson tied the game with a spin move in the lane, then 32 seconds later drilled a 3-point dagger with 2:55 left to put the Spartans back on top 41-38. Fallon twice got back within one, at 41-40 on a basket by Barry Mitchell and 43-42 on a drive to the basket by Takoda Pacheco, but Sorenson made two free throws to push the lead to 45-42.
After a miss by the Greenwave, Spring Creek’s Snowden Williams tipped in a miss by Sorenson with 42 seconds left to put the Spartans up 47-42.
The Spartans led throughout the first half, putting the Greenwave on the defensive from the opening minutes. Brown attributed the Greenwave’s struggles in the first half to nerves.
“This group of kids hasn't played in a basketball game as meaningful to this, in a really long time, and some of them never had,” Brown said. “I don't know if we ran out of gas because we had to dig out of that hole we made ourselves. I won't speak for them, but yeah, just couldn't get the ball to go in the hole.”
Sorenson, who entered the game averaging 8.3 points per game, led all players with 17 points.
“I've watched film, and he was a decent shooter, but 17 was more than we were expecting for sure,” Brown said.
Anderson had 14 to lead Fallon, despite a Spring Creek defense focused on not allowing him to get to the basket.
“That's the same kind of wall defense that they put against us every time we played them,” Brown said. “But Calin's number one on every scouting report. Every game we play, we know that we have to create things off of him.”
Brown said he’s proud of the way the Greenwave turned things around this season, coming within one win of making the state tournament after missing the playoffs last year.
“I know they really, really would have loved to get this one,” he said. “I would have loved to get this one. I hate losing, but I hope they're proud of what they turned into this year.”
Comment
Comments