Game Report on Southwest Guilford-Berry Academy Boys Playoff Basketball as Cowboys fall in OT

The opening round of the 4A State Playoffs finally got underway this afternoon as the Cowboys of Southwest hosted the Cardinals of Phillip O’Berry Academy. Will having not played since February 10th, and not being able to practice consistently hurt the Cowboys?

How will both teams respond to such a long layover?

The first quarter was a back and forth battle with each team going on runs. Ultimately the frame ended with Southwest up 20-18.

In the second quarter Southwest seemed to seize control with a strong frame, including an 11-0 run taking the halftime tally to 39-28.

The second half started with the Cowboys continuing their control getting the lead to 50-32 midway through the stanza.

From there it felt like the Cowboys stepped into quicksand and watched empty trips, turnovers, and missed open layups doom them as the Cardinals fought all the way back to make it 56-53 going into the final quarter.

The Cowboys would manage to take two or three steps away from the quicksand, but never got out of it and the Cardinals used banked three-pointers and physical play to take a 67-61 lead with 3 minutes to go in the game.

The Cowboys managed to tie the game up at 67, but again lost traction. Down 75-72, the Cowboys were able to score just enough to tie the game at 75, and then played one last solid possession of defense to force overtime.

In the extra session the game was controlled by the Cardinals as they managed to always respond with a bucket or timely free throw shooting. In the end the Cowboys were able to force a turnover on the inbounds and call timeout down 85-83 with 8.4 seconds to go.

The Cowboys ran the play, got a shot blocked, but an offensive rebound and a drive and kick led to an open look in the corner that would have won it, but the ball rolled around the rim and just would not drop.

With that the Southwest Cowboys fall to the Cardinals 85-83 in overtime.

The Cardinals were led by Quindon Cottman with 21. The Cowboys were led by Kameron Langley with 21, 5 Stls, 3 Rebs, and KJ Langley with 18, 4 Asts, and Ben Ferguson 11.

 1st  2nd 3rd  4th  OT   Final
O'Berry 18 10 25 22 10 85
Southwest 00 00 00 00 08 83
/pre>

O'Berry
Keondre' Byers17
Mathew Powell 20
Michael Roberts 9
Chandler Murray 7
Quindon Cottman 21
Desmond Roberts 1
Tevin Heath 8

Southwest (20-5, 10-0)
KJ Langley 18
Ben Ferguson11
Cedric Morgan 10, 3 Stls
Orlando Smith 7, 3 Rebs, 2 Stls
Kam Langley 21
Kaymon Mitchell 10, 3 Rebs, 3 Stls

Courtesy of Greg Vlazny, SWG assistant coach...

4 thoughts on “Game Report on Southwest Guilford-Berry Academy Boys Playoff Basketball as Cowboys fall in OT

  1. Shocking to me to see SW lose this one, at home, especially after reading here that they led by 18 midway through the 3rd. Tough way for them to finish. Congratulations to their players and coaches on a very good season.

  2. With run and gun aau style ball along with 3pter, 18 pt lead ain’t that much of a lead as used to be. Sometimes you have to slow it down and let the air out of the ball.

  3. Horrible loss for SW. How do you lose a game that you were in total control? Bad decision making and shot selection!

  4. SW, was in control, but O’Berry got really hot from the 3. Kids were banking shots in from all over the floor. SW’s shot selection and decision making was decent, not the reason for the lost. Got to give that team from Charlotte credit. SW kids fought till the end. No blame…O’Berry had nothing to lose and started launching. Good luck to all of the area teams still playing.

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