Late free throws lift Tigers past Belgreen
By Staff
Mike Self, FCT Sports Editor
PHIL CAMPBELL – Give Derrick Miller bonus points for being honest.
"Yeah, I was nervous," Red Bay's junior guard admitted after sinking the go-ahead free throws with 13 seconds remaining in Saturday's 40-37 win over Belgreen in the finals of the Franklin County Tournament. "Nervous but confident. I knew as soon as they left my hand that they were going in."
Miller's game-winning free throws came after he improvised a bit and drove from the left wing into the lane with the game tied 37-37 and ample time remaining.
"We probably could have run some more time off the clock, but Derrick saw a lane to drive and he took it," said Red Bay coach Greg Cash, whose team won its third county title in the past four years but first with him at the helm. "It wasn't a set play or anything. Sometimes kids make better plays than coaches make calls."
The Bulldogs (6-14) still had plenty of time to try and recreate their late-game magic from Thursday's semifinals, when they beat Phil Campbell 55-54 on a Lucas Albert three-pointer.
Kyle Warren brought the ball across half court and tried to drive, but sticky defense by Red Bay's Pablo Makepeace forced him to give up the ball. A turnover resulted, and Makepeace then tracked down an errant inbounds pass and made the second of two free throw attempts to push the lead to three with three seconds remaining.
Red Bay's celebration would soon begin, but not without a moment of trepidation. A half-court heave by Shane Fretwell at the buzzer bounced off the backboard, a little too close for comfort as far as Cash was concerned.
"I thought it was going in," he said. "From where I was standing, it was headed right for the square. I think it hit just a little too high."
Both teams struggled to score in the first half before Belgreen erupted for seven points in the final four seconds.
Albert scored and was fouled with four seconds left, and Cash was hit with a technical foul for arguing the call. Albert missed his free throw, but Michael Wilson hit both technical shots to give Belgreen a 23-20 lead.
The Bulldogs then got the ball out of bounds, and Taylor Hester nailed a three at the buzzer to make it 26-20.
The lead grew to 10 points early in the second half before Red Bay finally got going. Grant Fancher and Justin Page each had five points and Ethan Davis made a three-pointer as part of a 13-2 run that put the Tigers on top 33-32 at the end of the third quarter.
"We were kind of in a funk early in the game, and Belgreen had a lot to do with that," Cash said. "They were playing well. We forced a few turnovers and started getting some rebounds there in the third quarter, and that helped us get back in the game."
Belgreen regained the lead at 36-35 midway through the fourth quarter on a basket by Warren, and Albert made a free throw to push the lead to two.
Page hit a jumper with 1:40 remaining to tie the game 37-37, setting the stage for Miller's clutch free throws.
"This feels great," Miller said amidst the postgame celebration. "To win the county tournament is just awesome."
Fancher led Red Bay with 12 points, and Page added 10. Jesse James had six, and Miller added five.
Warren led Belgreen with 10 points, and Albert had eight. Fretwell and Wilson each added five.
