Central squeaks by South, 59-58, after last-second shot doesn’t fall

Key Plays

1st Quarter

The Cougars opened the game with five unanswered points. Chebon Dawes got the scoring started from the free-throw line and had an assist to Clint Pinnick for another bucket. Sean Brown and Clifton Sims both scored for the Mustangs.

2nd Quarter

Central closed the gap during the second period when South chose to run a 3-2 zone defense. After South’s Aaron Rea scored, Central went on a 7-0 run including a three-point play from Chris Wildgen that sparked Central’s offense. Mustang guard Chuck Hunter scored at the end of the quarter for his first points of the game and pulled Central to within one.

Central's Denzel Payne lays the ball over the outstretched arm of South defender Murphy Ray Wednesday at South Junior High. The Mustangs defeated the Cougars 59-58.

3rd Quarter

Both teams came out hot in the second half, trading buckets the entire period as South clung to its one-point lead going to the final quarter. Hunter was in the zone for Central, scoring 13 of his game-high 18 points during the period. Dawes and Rea kept the game close for South, and Jayce Eubanks sank a last-second three-pointer to hold South’s lead at the end of the quarter.

4th Quarter

South jumped out to a five-point lead early in the fourth, forcing a Central timeout with 5:05 left to play. Coach Gary Hall must have said something right because his Mustangs made six straight points to take their first lead of the game. South countered with a 6-0 run of its own, but Central was not to be denied. Hunter hit another three, and, with 22 seconds left, guard Sean Brown drove to the basket for a layup and was fouled. Brown calmly sank the what-would-be the game-winning free throw as South’s last-second attempt fell short.