In a game that had just about every kind of drama you could imagine, the Hornets squeezed out a 66-59 win over RHS despite the visiting Gladiators twice appearing to have the upper hand in the final few seconds of regulation. But once Wilson got one final HUGE break, they took advantage of it and outscored the Big Red 12-5 in the extra session.
RHS took an early 9-4 lead thanks to a three from Brett Hostetler (his first of four triples) and a pair of inside hoops from center Austin Craft, who probably had his best overall game of the season. The Gladiators led 11-10 after one.
Wilson then went on a spurt in the second quarter and led by 11 at one point, 28-17. But just when it looked like they might turn it into a rout, the Gladiators closed out the quarter with consecutive threes by Hostetler and Grant Painter, as the half ended 28-23.
Although Wilson scored the first two buckets of the third to go up by 9, the third quarter was all about RHS' big surge to get back in the game. They crawled back gradually, first tying the game at 35, and then taking a two point lead on a pair of Braeson Fulton foul shots. With just 1.5 seconds left in the period, the Gladiators had a chance to make a bigger move when a foul, followed by a technical, were called on the Hornets. But they were only able to take a 40-39 lead into the final period.
That final period, although only a 15-14 Wilson advantage, saw a little bit of everything. My guess is that there were at least 8 lead changes and neither team led by more than three. Not being familiar with the Wilson personnel, I could be slighting someone, but I think most of their points in the period came from either Ryan Pierce or Jacob Sears.
As for RHS, Painter and Fulton used their quickness to not only score but also wreak havoc on defense in that quarter, but also at times it looked as if Craft might be the hero for the visitors as he stepped up his aggressiveness, knocking down a couple of shots and blocking one or two others at the defensive end.
Heading down the stretch, Riverheads was leading 49-46, and seemed to be in good shape to hold on for the win, but in no time at all, the Hornets scored five in a row to forge ahead 51-49. The Gladiators then found Elijah Dunlap open on a back door cut to tie the score with under a minute to go.
A steal at the other end gave the ball back to the Big Red and they worked it around for Hostetler's final trey of the night, which he buried with 27 seconds left to put the Gladiators on top 54-51 and things looked good for a happy bus ride back to Greenville. But Wilson came down and knocked down one of its own from the left corner by the smallest dude on the floor Garrick Welch to tie it once again with only 14 seconds left.
Riverheads then worked it inside beautifully to find Hostetler all alone under the basket. The Hornets did the only thing they could do to avoid the lay-up as they sent the entire team crashing down on him, or so it seemed. That sent the senior to the line for two shots with the clock reading only 2.2 seconds.
He missed the first, Wilson called time out to ice him, and it worked as he bounced the second one off in almost exactly the same fashion. That break gave the Hornets the adrenaline rush they needed, and they totally controlled the overtime session to take the hard fought win.
With the loss, RHS drops to 4-5 on the season, but they still get all four county schools at home, they still have Stonewall twice, as well as a rematch with Parry McCluer, so I personally think a winning season is still within reach. But it may all depend on how they let tonight's game affect them. Some teams will let a game like this fester and impact the next one, but some other teams get determined enough to do something about it.
Scoring-wise, RHS had a well-balanced attack tonight as Hostetler finished with 17, followed by 12 from Fulton, 11 from Painter, 10 from Craft, and 7 from Dunlap. The Gladiators only dressed nine tonight to Wilson's 13, due to an illness, so that also speaks well for the Big Red effort.
The Gladiators are at home twice next week, hosting Stonewall on Tuesday and Draft on Friday. We will of course take those one at a time and first get ready for the improved Generals. As for the Draft game, I would have given RHS a fighting chance in that one, and still may when the time comes, but it is hard to ignore what I just read, that the Cougars put 110 on Page tonight, and on the road no less! Wowza!
Wilson took the JV game tonight 39-27. The Gladiators trailed by 10 early but came back to cut it to a single point in the third quarter before Wilson re-assumed control.
RHS took an early 9-4 lead thanks to a three from Brett Hostetler (his first of four triples) and a pair of inside hoops from center Austin Craft, who probably had his best overall game of the season. The Gladiators led 11-10 after one.
Wilson then went on a spurt in the second quarter and led by 11 at one point, 28-17. But just when it looked like they might turn it into a rout, the Gladiators closed out the quarter with consecutive threes by Hostetler and Grant Painter, as the half ended 28-23.
Although Wilson scored the first two buckets of the third to go up by 9, the third quarter was all about RHS' big surge to get back in the game. They crawled back gradually, first tying the game at 35, and then taking a two point lead on a pair of Braeson Fulton foul shots. With just 1.5 seconds left in the period, the Gladiators had a chance to make a bigger move when a foul, followed by a technical, were called on the Hornets. But they were only able to take a 40-39 lead into the final period.
That final period, although only a 15-14 Wilson advantage, saw a little bit of everything. My guess is that there were at least 8 lead changes and neither team led by more than three. Not being familiar with the Wilson personnel, I could be slighting someone, but I think most of their points in the period came from either Ryan Pierce or Jacob Sears.
As for RHS, Painter and Fulton used their quickness to not only score but also wreak havoc on defense in that quarter, but also at times it looked as if Craft might be the hero for the visitors as he stepped up his aggressiveness, knocking down a couple of shots and blocking one or two others at the defensive end.
Heading down the stretch, Riverheads was leading 49-46, and seemed to be in good shape to hold on for the win, but in no time at all, the Hornets scored five in a row to forge ahead 51-49. The Gladiators then found Elijah Dunlap open on a back door cut to tie the score with under a minute to go.
A steal at the other end gave the ball back to the Big Red and they worked it around for Hostetler's final trey of the night, which he buried with 27 seconds left to put the Gladiators on top 54-51 and things looked good for a happy bus ride back to Greenville. But Wilson came down and knocked down one of its own from the left corner by the smallest dude on the floor Garrick Welch to tie it once again with only 14 seconds left.
Riverheads then worked it inside beautifully to find Hostetler all alone under the basket. The Hornets did the only thing they could do to avoid the lay-up as they sent the entire team crashing down on him, or so it seemed. That sent the senior to the line for two shots with the clock reading only 2.2 seconds.
He missed the first, Wilson called time out to ice him, and it worked as he bounced the second one off in almost exactly the same fashion. That break gave the Hornets the adrenaline rush they needed, and they totally controlled the overtime session to take the hard fought win.
With the loss, RHS drops to 4-5 on the season, but they still get all four county schools at home, they still have Stonewall twice, as well as a rematch with Parry McCluer, so I personally think a winning season is still within reach. But it may all depend on how they let tonight's game affect them. Some teams will let a game like this fester and impact the next one, but some other teams get determined enough to do something about it.
Scoring-wise, RHS had a well-balanced attack tonight as Hostetler finished with 17, followed by 12 from Fulton, 11 from Painter, 10 from Craft, and 7 from Dunlap. The Gladiators only dressed nine tonight to Wilson's 13, due to an illness, so that also speaks well for the Big Red effort.
The Gladiators are at home twice next week, hosting Stonewall on Tuesday and Draft on Friday. We will of course take those one at a time and first get ready for the improved Generals. As for the Draft game, I would have given RHS a fighting chance in that one, and still may when the time comes, but it is hard to ignore what I just read, that the Cougars put 110 on Page tonight, and on the road no less! Wowza!
Wilson took the JV game tonight 39-27. The Gladiators trailed by 10 early but came back to cut it to a single point in the third quarter before Wilson re-assumed control.
