Spring Creek’s Natalie Jackson, right, takes a rebound away from Midway’s Peyton Herring during first-half action Monday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Spring Creek’s Trinity Daniels, left, collides with Midway’s Ella Clark and winds up scoring a layup seconds later during their game Monday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Midway’s Peyton Herring (14) tries to move to the basket against Spring Creek’s Natalie Jackson. Watching from behind is Gator point guard Kiarah Pearson. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com
SEVEN SPRINGS — This is one game film Paul Hayes will undoubtedly use as a teaching tool throughout the season.
His messages?
Time management and put an opponent on ice.
“We’ve got to learn how to finish a ball game,” the third-year Spring Creek head girls’ hoops coach said after a 47-44, overtime conquest of Midway on Monday evening.
Point guard Kiarah Pearson drained two free throws with 0.7 seconds left, which gave the Gators just their second win over the Raiders in 22 meetings since 2006.
Up 23-20 at halftime, Midway opened the third quarter with an uncontested 3-pointer from guard KB Benton.
Spring Creek answered with a 12-0 run.
Pearson’s steal and open-court pass to Trinity Daniels resulted in a layup. Pearson added a layup of her own off Sarah Hess’ assist.
Hess and Pearson each converted a free throw.
Pearson capped the run with a steal and layup. SC led 32-26 before Benton swished another 3-pointer just inches behind the arc.
“They’re very good at what they do, running their man and their sets where they’re communicating and moving with each other,” Hayes said. “We’ve got to do a little more talking on the defensive end [and] we’ve got to do a little less standing on the offensive end. We’ve got to make the easy buckets … missed too many layups.”
Benton’s trifecta – one of five on the night – knotted the contest at 32-32 seconds into the final period. Teammate McKenna Barnes kissed a shot off the glass, which put the Raiders in front, 34-32.
Pearson responded with a 3 and Daniels polished off a coast-to-coast layup after she cleared the defensive glass. However, SC struggled to preserve the precarious one-possession lead.
Over the next four minutes, the teams combined to misfire on 14 possessions. Somehow, Midway (4-1 overall) scratched for consecutive offensive putbacks from Benson and Kylie Stonebrock.
The Raiders led 39-37.
“They got hot from three,” Hayes said of Benton. “We decided we had to put a body on her [Benton]. At times, we didn’t do a good job of that.”
Hess scored underneath, got fouled and couldn’t finish the “and-one” possession. Teammate Heather Alexander, saddled with four fouls, got position on an offensive rebound and scored.
SC led 41-39.
The teams traded turnovers before the Raiders’ Peyton Herring grabbed a weakside rebound on the baseline. She took one dribble and hit nothing but net.
Game tied 41-41.
“Toward the end [of regulation], we’ve just got to learn how to win – not taking shots when we don’t need to or make the smart pass instead of making an entry pass into the lane,” Hayes said.
Daniels scored on Pearson’s assist to start the overtime session. Herring’s turnaround bank shot in the paint and her free throw put Midway ahead, 44-43, with 1:50 to go.
Daniels supplied the go-ahead layup.
The Gators committed two turnovers and the Raiders missed two shots within six feet of the bucket. A deflection by Hess wound up in Pearson’s hands, who drew the foul and sealed the outcome.
“Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn’t, but we found a way,” Hayes said. “It wasn’t pretty.”
Daniels finished with a double-double — 21 points, 11 rebounds. Pearson contributed 12 points, eight steals and five rebounds. Alexander logged seven points and nine rebounds, while Jackson grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds.
Spring Creek (2-2) begins a five-game road swing Thursday at Arendell-Parrott Academy in Kinston.
You may reach sports writer Rudy Coggins at prepswriter2@gmail.com or call/text 919-709-9257.
