Monday, Mar. 01, 2010

Close loss stings Trojans

Garner got within an overtime period of making the regionals, bringing a tough end to a season of progress for coach Eddie Gray's young squad.

What made this loss, the one that Garner suffered Friday night in a boys basketball sectional final against New Hanover, so tough to take can be traced back to the first five weeks of the season.

At that point, an overtime, three-point (62-59) loss to a 13-time state boys basketball champion a step away from the state's final eight would have an acceptable outcome for the Trojans.

But that was certainly not what Garner's players had as they filed, stone-faced but teary-eyed, out of the visitor's locker room at Gattison Court at Brogden Hall after Friday's overtime loss to New Hanover.

"The kids battled their tails off," said Trojans' coach Eddie Gray. "We had a lot of things that didn't go our way. But I've never been more proud of a team in my life."

The Trojans battled through foul troubles for senior standout Stephon Drane and led by eight points in the fourth quarter, but the play of Wildcats' junior guard Freddie Jackson down the stretch and a second technical of the night were too much to overcome.

Garner took a 50-42 lead in the fourth quarter but -- even without senior forwards Cole Daley and Detwon Rogers, who were both lost to fouls in the fourth quarter - the Wildcats (20-7) went on a 12-3 run capped by a Jackson jumper with 1:31 to play in regulation.

The Trojans' Dominique Reed drew a foul and went to the line with 32 seconds to play and his team trailing, 54-53. Reed hit the second free throw, forcing a tie.

"We were not attacking in the first half," said New Hanover coach Kirk Angel. "We were way too passive. We became a much more aggressive team in the second half and in overtime."

New Hanover held the ball and got two shots at the game-winner but couldn't find the mark. A jump ball call with one second left went Garner's way but its last-season heave didn't find the mark, sending the game into overtime.

Two Jackson baskets sandwiched around a Donald Johnson jumper put the Wildcats up 58-56 with more than two minutes to play. The two teams exchanged multiple misses before Garner came up with a loose ball in New Hanover's end. After a long outlet pass sailed out of bounds, the Trojans were hit with an on-court technical foul with 30 seconds to play.

"I didn't see what happened and I didn't get an explanation," Gray said of the call.

The veteran coach had picked up a technical late in the first quarter, but the Wildcats failed to take advantage. They trailed 12-9 before the technical call and saw Drane pick up his second foul later in the quarter, but only managed a 12-all tie at the end of the frame.

New Hanover didn't exactly jump to an advantage after the second technical either. Jackson hit one of the two free throws for the technical, then went one-for-two again after the Trojans fouled him with 22 seconds to play, leaving the Wildcats up 60-56.

Garner came up big on its next possession with Donald Johnson banking in a 3-pointer with 14 seconds to play to get within a point.

After a Trojans' time out, the Wildcats turned the ball over on the inbound pass. Garner was able to get a chance at the game-winner on a dribble drive, then got another chance in a crowded lane. However, that shot bounced off of the rim as well.

"We missed some little chippers that would have helped," Gray said. "I thought there was a lot of contact allowed underneath the basket at times and that seemed to hurt us more at times."

The two teams tied up for the ball and the possession arrow favored the Wildcats. New Hanover lobbed the ball into a leaping Jackson on the inbound play and he hit two free throws for a three-point lead with two seconds to play.

Garner, forced to go the length of the court, tried to get off a potential game-tying shot from just short of half-court, but the buzzer sounded before Emanual McClain could get his shot off.

Angel heaped praise on reserve Jaquel Lewis, who stepped up after Rogers and Daley fouled out, helping anchor the Wildcats' interior defense. "He was a big reason we were able to close it out," Angel said. "He's our hardest worker in practice and he gave us a great game."

Garner also got big contributions -- and more than normal minutes -- from juniors Deion Dorsey and Dominique Reed when Drane was forced to the bench with four fouls in the third quarter.

"Stephon got into foul trouble but Deion Dorsey and Dominique [Reed] stepped up for us," Gray said.

Garner led 26-23 at the half despite shooting just 21 percent (four-of-19) from the field in the first quarter and not hitting a 3-pointer in the first half.

In the second half, the Trojans added to their lead from behind the arch.

Gavin Wilson, who helped spark a 21-point third quarter for Garner, led the Trojans with 20 points. Donald Johnson added 16. Johnson and Wilson were a combined 4-for-5 from behind the arch in the third quarter.

"We didn't shoot the ball well for most of the night," Gray said, "but Donald and Gavin hit some big 3-pointers for us to get us back in the lead."

Drane had 10 points in his finale in Garner blue. The loss also ended the runs of fellow seniors Matt Powell and Darne Hall. The Trojans will return three starters for the 2010-11 season and all of their top reserves.

The Trojans, who stood 3-6 after their first nine games of the season, finished with an 18-9 record -- going 13-3 the rest of the way. Garner collected its second-straight Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference regular-season championship and added the league tournament title as well.

"The message I gave the kids is that sometimes life isn't fair and you just have to accept that, no matter how hard it is," Gray said. "The kids played their hearts out. We came in here, a tough place to play, and did everything we could.

"I couldn't be any prouder of a team. I've never been prouder of a team. I just hate it's over for them."