New Kent recovers from 12-point deficit, tops Lafayette to advance to conference title game
New Kent's Jason Whitlow looks to get off a shot over the defense of Lafayette's C.J. Miller (20) and Mark Rivera.Alan Chamberlain photos
Midway through the third quarter of last night’s Colonial 3A Conference semifinal with Lafayette’s Rams, New Kent’s Trojans and their faithful, who had made the trip to Southampton, could feel any chance of extending their basketball season slipping away.
After leading for most of the game, the second-seeded Rams had built a 12-point advantage and appeared on the verge of eliminating the third seeds to advance to the conference title game plus earn a berth in next week’s region tournament.
But a combination of Trojan defense and Ram inaccuracy from the floor altered the game’s flow. Over the contest’s final 10 minutes, the Rams scored a mere 12 points.
New Kent, meanwhile, employed a 19-4 run to take over the affair, holding off the Rams in the final minute to claim a 59-55 victory. The Trojans now head for tonight’s championship clash with top-seeded Park View-South Hill on the Dragons’ home court.
“That’s the story of the game in itself,” said winning coach Ronnie Cox, looking back on the Rams’ inability to score late.
“[The Rams] want to make runs, and you make runs by scoring baskets. It seems we shut them down,” he said.
Recently for New Kent, the plan has been to live or die by the three-point shot. In Tuesday’s quarterfinal win over York, the Trojans drained 16. Not so tonight, as only five found the bottom of the net.
“We actually won a game without heavily depending on threes,” marveled Cox.
Also, the Trojans avenged a pair of regular season setbacks at the hands of the Rams.
“It feels great,” added Cox. “I don’t think anybody had us penciled into the conference championship game. But the kids believe in each other, and this is a very special moment for us. I just hope we have the legs left [against Park View].”
With the three-ball not there, New Kent swiped a page from Lafayette’s playbook. The Trojans used the Rams’ penchant for dribble penetration to the hoop to stay within striking distance early.
Blake Kelley, the Trojans’ top scorer (22 tonight), managed all of his eight first quarter points on drives to the basket. The Trojans were within two heading into the second period, but the Rams made a 6-0 spurt to create breathing room and led 31-23 at the half.
As the third quarter’s midpoint approached, the Rams seemed on the verge of pulling away as the margin reached a dozen (39-27). But for the remainder of the period, the Rams scored just twice from the floor while turning the ball over four times.
Trojan threes from Micah Scorsone and Kevin Karaffa helped close the gap. Another penetrating move from Kelley to end the quarter made it a one-point game (43-42).
Seconds into the final period, New Kent got scoring help from an unlikely source. Jason Whitlow, normally a defensive and rebounding specialist, dribbled down the lane before banking the ball off the glass to hand New Kent a 44-43 lead. The Trojans never trailed again.
Fouled in the act of shooting a three, Kelley calmly converted all three free throws to up the advantage to four. Lafayette’s Mark Rivera got one point back, sinking the first of a pair from the stripe with 6:55 to go, but seconds later Scorsone buried a trey to put the Trojans up by six, 50-44.
“We still had a six-point lead [53-47] with three minutes left so we spread it out and they ended up fouling us,” Cox said. “Initially, we didn’t put [the free throws] down, but Kevin did when we needed them.”
The Trojans converted just one of five free throws before Karaffa sank three straight over the final 25 seconds to preserve the win.
Lafayette, meanwhile, became its own worst enemy at the offensive end. Down by six, the Rams failed to capitalize on three straight trips down the floor, fumbling the ball out of bounds after missing shots on two of the occasions.
Deavon Harris’ steal and lay-in momentarily reversed the Rams’ fortunes, but Scorsone sank both ends of a bonus situation to bump the margin back to six with 1:44 to go. Over the next minute, however, Rivera took over the Rams’ scoring load, converting three of four free throws before completing a conventional three-point play with 43 seconds left to pull his team within one at 56-55.
Fouled with 25 seconds to play, Karaffa missed the first of a double bonus, but hit the second to open a two-point margin. At the other end, the Rams looked to Rivera, who finished with a game-high 25 points.
With the clock ticking down inside of 15 seconds, Rivera got open in the lane for an almost uncontested lay-up. He missed. Snaring the rebound, he put back another point-blank range shot. Missed again.
“It was crazy,” said Cox afterward. “He doesn’t miss and had been clutch down the stretch finishing under the basket. I was shocked.”
With eight seconds left, Kelley grabbed the rebound after Rivera’s second botched shot, passing off to Karaffa. Fouled with five seconds to go, Karaffa sank both of a double bonus to put the game out of reach.
Kelley’s 22 points led New Kent, now 10-10 on the season. Scorsone finished in double figures with 12 while Whitlow and Karaffa totaled eight apiece. Tommy Hale contributed five with Christian Block and Trey Cox each chipping in two.
New Kent’s Christian Block dribbles past Lafayette’s Mark Rivera as the Trojans try to run the final minutes off the clock.
New Kent players and coaches celebrate their 59-55
comeback win over Lafayette’s Rams in last night Colonial
3A Conference tournament semifinal victory at Southampton.