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HomeHigh SchoolDouble OT buzzer-beater caps Spartan win over Pioneers, 93-91

Double OT buzzer-beater caps Spartan win over Pioneers, 93-91

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was a basketball game with more thrilling twists and turns than the famed “Tail of the Dragon” highway in the Great Smoky Mountains. There were ups and downs to take your breath away faster than the massive, “Falcons Flight” roller coaster in Qiddaya, Saudi Arabia. It was one of those games you didn’t want to end but knew at some point one of the adversaries would have to be declared the winner and another, the loser.

On this Jan. 31 night, the South Caldwell women’s basketball team earned the right to dance with joy at midcourt, 93-91.

Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson gives instructions to his Pioneers during an overtime period ‘timeout’ on Jan. 31. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

There were just nine seconds on the clock when the Spartans in-bounded the ball after Watauga took the lead, 91-90. Despite the Pioneers’ stifling defensive pressure, the ball found its way into the hands of the Spartans’ freshman guard, Ava Anderson, just past midcourt, some 15 feet inside the left sideline. With a desperation heave for the ages, Anderson’s shot arched through the air and bounced off the rim to the other side of the hoop, rolled around precariously and flirting with both victory and defeat before dropping through the net — just as the orange lights framing the backboard flashed game’s end with the final buzzer.

It was a moment of unbounded, exuberant joy for the South Caldwell players and coaches, who had fought to the finish and earned the win. It was a moment of gut-wrenching despair for a Watauga team that led by 10 points after just the first quarter of play, trailed by nine late in the fourth period, but rallied to send the game into overtime.

Watauga’s student section was out in full force for the Jan. 31 Northwestern Conference rivalry games vs. South Caldwell. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

For the game to have been this close was somewhat of a surprise for most onlookers. Watauga had put a double-digit licking on the Spartans in their first meeting, in Hudson on Jan. 9, 74-55. With a 13-4 overall record and 5-0 in Northwestern Conference play coming in to this game, the Pioneers were ranked No. 17 in all of North Carolina, South Caldwell way down the list at No. 111. MaxPreps had Watauga at No. 5 in the 4A West, the Spartans (then at 11-7) at No. 20.

Well, add a loss to Watauga’s record and a win to South Caldwell’s after this barnburner. For both teams, there was no level of certainty as to the eventual outcome, from start to finish.

Senior guard Julie Matheson (1) takes aim from beyond the 3-point arc on Jan. 31 vs. South Caldwell. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

There was a time in the second half when Watauga senior Kate Sears seemed to put the team on her back and willed them back into the fray. Sears scored 21 of her game-high 50 points in the fourth quarter — then scored 14 more in the two overtime periods. To say she entirely carried the load, however, would not be accurate. There is no way to discount the critical 3-pointers in overtime from other players, two of them by senior guard Julie Matheson and one by junior guard Izzy Torgerson.

When all was said and done, however, it wasn’t quite enough. Watauga simply had few answers for the Spartans’ “youth movement,” led by freshman guards Anderson and backcourt teammate Maggie Wilks.

Blair Haines (21) goes up and in for a layup against South Caldwell on Jan. 31. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

Besides the final buzzer-beater, Anderson poured in a team-high 36 points while Wilks added another 30. Altogether, the Spartans were deadly from long distance, hitting on 16 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Wilks recorded a game-high seven 3-pointers, Anderson another five treys.

While a lot of Watauga’s scoring came from Sears driving to the basket, the Pioneers also made some critical shots from long distance, including three from the Virginia Tech-bound senior and three more by Matheson. Others contributing from beyond the arc included Shelby Thompson, Torgerson, Blair Haines and Kaitlyn Darner.

Almost as remarkable was South Caldwell’s shooting from the free throw line: 14-of-17 (82.4 percent). By contrast, as a team the Pioneers were good on just 8-of-16 (50 percent) from the charity stripe.

Senior guard Kate Sears makes an acrobatic finish after driving the lane vs. South Caldwell on Jan. 31. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

Up next for the Pioneers is a home date vs. Alexander Central on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Watauga got by the Cougars on Jan. 14 in Taylorsville, 48-44. Although the loss to South Caldwell tarnished their Northwestern Conference record to 5-1, the Pioneers remain in sole possession of first place.

South Caldwell stays at home for their Feb. 4 matchup. At 4-2 in conference, they are tied with their next opponent, Freedom, although the Patriots prevailed when the teams met in Morganton on Jan. 14, 55-49. Riding a 4-game win streak and facing Freedom at home, South Caldwell may rightfully have an elevated measure of confidence in facing the Patriots, which has sandwiched losses to Watauga and Alexander Central between wins over Ashe County and Hibriten since the last time they faced South Caldwell.

SCORING LEADERS

  • WAT – Kate Sears (50 points)
  • SC – Ava Anderson (36)
  • SC – Maggie Wilks (30)
  • WAT – Kaitlyn Darner (15)
  • WAT – Julie Matheson (11)
  • SC – Kristin Barber (11)
  • SC – Addison Whitman (9)
  • WAT – Blair Haines (5)
  • WAT – Shelby Thompson (5)
  • SC – Holland Weisner (4)
  • WAT – Izzy Torgerson (3)
  • SC – Bella Smith (3)
  • WAT – Chloe Wilson (2)

 

 

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