Betts delivers in overtime for Northeast
By By Ryan Satcher / staff writer
Jan. 15, 2003
For the second time this season, Morton and Northeast battled in a close ballgame, and for the second time the Trojans came away with a victory.
Marcus Betts scored the first five points for Northeast in overtime and the Trojans hit enough free throws down the stretch to come away with a 72-69 win.
Morton came out of the locker room and jumped on Northeast in the early minutes. Chris Lloyd hit a two and two three-pointers to start the game and give the Panthers an 8-0 lead.
Northeast picked up the tempo of the game and, after trading a basket with Morton, went on a 19-3 run to close out the first quarter.
Northeast went on to stretch the lead out to 42-32 at halftime. The Trojans also opened the third quarter with a 4-0 run to take a 14-point lead.
The Trojans were able to extend the lead to as many as 16 points in the third quarter, but Morton started the scratch back in the final half of the third.
The Panthers went on a 14-5 run to close out the quarter and cut the lead to 55-48 with one quarter left to play.
An 11-6 run by Morton in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, cut the lead down to two points. Morton was finally able to tie the game with 21 seconds left to play on a basket by Justin Ficklin.
Northeast was unable to score in the final seconds and the game went into overtime.
Lloyd scored the first two points for Morton in the overtime, but Northeast came back with a 7-0 run led by Betts to take a 69-64 lead with 51 seconds to play.
The Trojans made three free throws in the final seconds and held on for the 72-69 victory.
Betts finished with 21 points to lead Northeast. Dekenno Winston had 14 points for the Trojans.
Lloyd scored 22 points for Morton while Ficklin scored 16 and Shay Hodge added 13.
Northeast improves to 11-9 on the season with the victory and will now face a big test in No. 9 ranked Mendenhall. The Trojans will host Mendenhall in a division matchup on Friday night.
Northeast girls 70
Morton 35
Northeast doubled up Morton in the girls' game to improve to 11-7 on the season.
Quin Jackson scored 17 points for Northeast and Crystal Hopson scored 15 to lead the Lady Trojans to the easy victory.
Northeast opened the game with an 8-2 run. Morton hit two free throws to cut into the lead, but Northeast then went on a 9-4 run to make the score 17-8.
The Lady Trojans then closed out the quarter with a 10-4 run to lead by 15 points after the first.
Northeast went on a 6-0 run to start the second as Morton was held scoreless in the first four minutes. After two Morton free throws, Northeast went on an 8-0 run and took a 43-20 lead into halftime.
The Lady Trojans went on an 11-0 run to start the second half and soon started sending in subs.
Northeast outscored Morton 10-5 in the fourth quarter to finish out the 70-35 victory.
The Lady Trojans will host Mendenhall in a big division game on Friday night.
Kenosha Bowie led the Lady Panthers in the loss with 11 points.
