I think this would have been a much bigger issue if New Boston had been in the hunt for the SOC title. I am sure they don't like it,but it didn't cost them their season. Bottom line is, you have to live with the calls, good or bad.
Here is the PDT article on the game.
FRANKLIN FURNACE – The New Boston Tigers and the Green Bobcats battled throughout the 32 minutes of play Tuesday night.
It took a half-court, buzzer-beating shot from Pat Pierce to lead the host Bobcats to a 55-52 victory. This after the Tigers took an 11-point lead into the final quarter.
The question to some was whether or not it happened before the horn.
“That's the officials' call,†Green coach Bobby Blanton said. “I'm not sure, that's the officials' call. The official called it good.â€
To New Boston coach Don Stapleton, his viewpoint was different.
“With 1.6 seconds to go and a guy gets the ball 90-feet from the basket, most of the time you're going to overtime,†Stapleton said. “It just wasn't meant to be.â€
The Tigers were on the verge of pulling their second-straight upset of an SOC I leader in as many games. On Saturday, New Boston defeated SOC I co-leader Clay 64-54.
The Tigers took a 13-12 first quarter lead and expanded it to as much as three to start the second quarter thanks to two of Drake Thompson's game-high 17 points. But a 7-0 run by Green put the conference leaders up 19-15 and the Bobcats led 26-25 at the half.
New Boston came out of the locker room and made nine of its 17 shots in the third quarter, with six of the baskets coming in a row and the final attempts the Tigers made in the period. Most of the success generated by the visiting team was from Trey Branham, who finished with six points and six assists.
Trialing 47-38 heading into the fourth quarter, Blanton knew his squad needed a different mindset.
“We were down 11 and we put ourselves in a situation with a chance to win the game,†Blanton said.
And that situation was a stingier defense. New Boston shot two-for-nine from the field during the final period.
“We've stressed defense from day one and we're starting to stress defense even more,†Blanton said.
The Tigers did have a chance to score the go-ahead basket, but a Buckley turnover gave the ball back to Green. From that point, Pierce described the hectic nature towards the end of the game.
“The original plan was to lob it up to T.J. (McCloud),†Pierce said. “But I seen Tyler (Hughes), he was struggling getting the ball in so I cut out on a circular cut and Tyler got me the ball.
“I turned around and I had Buckley and another guy on me,†Pierce added. “...I seen the clock ticking and I knew that I had about one second left when I took the last dribble...The shot was going out of my hands and I heard the horn, I wasn't really sure but it's hard to tell in a pressure-cooker like that.â€
Hughes led the Bobcats with 15 points while Pierce added 13. Green returns to the friendly confines Friday to host Western Pike.
New Boston has the Pike County double-dip this weekend with a home game Friday against Eastern and a make-up game Saturday against Western.
CODY LEIST can be reached at
[email protected] or by phone at (740) 353-3101 ext. 242.
New Boston 13 12 19 5 – 52
Green 12 14 12 17 – 55
New Boston – Buckley 4 1 9, Bledsoe 2 0 4, Mohr 1 2 4, Branham 2 0 4, Spears 3 1 8, Horsley 2 2 6, Thompson 7 1 17, Totals 21 7 52.
Green – Hughes 5 5 15, Pierce 5 2 13, Bruce 5 4 14, McCloud 3 7 13, Totals 18 18 55.
3-Pointers – New Boston 3 (Thompson 2, Spears); Green 1 (Pierce).
Records – New Boston 2-11 (2-8); Green 9-3 (7-1).
Read more: Portsmouth Daily Times - Pierce buzzer beater avoids Green upset