New Kent free throw misses in regulation prove costly, Tabb prevails 71-69 in overtime

New Kent's Jordan Hernandez splits a pair of Tabb defenders on the way to the basket for two of his 14 points.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Trailing by a single point with only :3.2 seconds showing on the clock, New Kent’s Trojans received a gift from Tabb’s visiting Tigers — five free throws resulting from a personal foul on the three-point shot attempt and subsequent technical foul.

Sink one, and the contest is tied 57-57. Convert two, and New Kent is back in front. And if three, four, or all five fall, the game is in the bag. Thanks to the technical, New Kent would own the ball out of bounds with an opportunity to run out the clock. Chalk up another win while avenging an earlier loss at Tabb.

Unfortunately for the hosts, only one of five found the bottom of the net, forcing overtime. In the extra period, the Tigers used their quickness to hold off the Trojans and escape with a 71-69 win to sweep the season series.

“We have to learn how to close out a tight game,” Trojan coach Ronnie Cox said afterward. “We’ve got to do that to complete a game, and we didn’t do that. And when you don’t do it, the end is predictable.”

With under three minutes to play, New Kent owned a seven-point advantage (54-47). Tabb responded with a furious press that forced turnovers and bad shots on the part of the hosts.

Complicating matters, Trojan point guard Kyle Claytor sat out most of the Tiger rally for treatment of a lacerated lip sustained late in the final quarter. By the time he returned, the visitors had wiped out margin and taken a 55-54 lead.

“We didn’t run our press break,” Cox said. “We know how to run it, but for some reason we didn’t do it or didn’t do it very well.”

Two free throws extended Tabb’s lead to 57-54 with :43.6 to go. New Kent missed from the floor, but Amari Brown’s steal and drive along the baseline pulled the Trojans within one at the 29-second mark.

A Tabb turnover handed the ball back to New Kent with :18.3 left. The hosts struggled to find an open man in the face of Tabb’s press, but Ryan Lugg launched a trey attempt from the corner as time wound down. Tabb’s Joby Jansen fouled Lugg, leading to three free throws. Two more were awarded after Jansen complained too loudly about the call.

Lugg, however, missed the first two from the stripe before sinking the third to tie. Claytor, normally a proficient free throw shooter, stepped to the line for the two technical shots but missed both.

In overtime, the Trojans fell behind early, but grabbed a 67-66 lead on C.J. Reeders’ shot along the baseline at the 1:07 mark. Tabb sank a free throw to tie moments before New Kent’s Jordan Hernandez dove after a loose ball, gained possession, and alertly called time with :33.5 left.

But when play resumed and Tabb in press mode, Hernandez, a six-foot-five forward, put the ball on the floor near midcourt. The dribble move enabled to Tigers to steal, draw a foul, and convert another free throw to take the lead for good 26.2 seconds from the end.

“I got to give [Tabb] credit,” said Cox. “They hit their free throws and didn’t roll over.

“I’d like to have beaten Tabb,” he added. “That’s something we haven’t done in a while.

“They’re number two or three in Bay Rivers, and we’ve got to break that glass ceiling,” he said, pointing to the need for a win over a quality opponent. “Our guys are upset about losing this, but we’ve got to take it to another level and got to do those things to close out.”

New Kent, now 7-6, placed four in double figures led by Claytor’s game-high 21 points. Brown tossed in 15 while Hernandez and Reeders finished with 14 and 10, respectively. Evan Branch scored four followed by two each from Hunter Torres and Darren Harris and Lugg’s one.