Published: 12:40 AM, Fri Feb 19, 2010
Douglas Byrd boys overcome errors
By Thomas Pope
Assistant sports editor
SANFORD - Statistically, Douglas Byrd High didn't put up the kind of numbers normally associated with a win.
But stats weren't the whole story at Southern Lee on Thursday night, as the Eagles overcame a season-high 36 turnovers and poor shooting to upend the top-seeded Cavaliers in the Cape Fear Valley 3-A Conference semifinals, 57-55. That puts Byrd into tonight's championship game at Westover, with the Wolverines earning homecourt rights by virtue of a higher regular-season finish. Game time is 7:30.
"I knew we could play with them, and our guys gutted it out," Byrd coach Todd Edge said. "We played hard. Circumstances seemed to be against us at every turn, every possession, but they didn't fold. I'm very proud of my guys."
Southern Lee aided its demise, missing 21 free throws on the night and making 17 turnovers of its own. It went sub-zero cold in the final period, with Josh Mellette's follow shot at 0:51 the Cavaliers' only field goal in the decisive quarter.
They had a shot to force overtime in the waning seconds, but Robert Richards' shot was off the mark and Mellette couldn't cash in on the follow shot. The battle for Mellette's miss sent the ball out of bounds, where it remained in Southern Lee's hands with 2 seconds showing, but Ace Chalmers' 15-foot jumper hit the rim and bounced away as the horn sounded.
"The first time we played them we didn't know what to expect," said Xavier Cary, whose game-high 21 points included a dunk with 14 seconds to go that put Byrd on top 56-55. "The second time, we knew what to prepare for but just couldn't finish it. This time, we knew everything that they did and were ready, and we came out with the desire to win and just finished it off."
Now the Eagles are ready to tackle another team in Westover that has beaten them twice.
"We've got to play like we played tonight, and we've got to play with some defensive intensity," Edge said.
Chalmers led Southern Lee with 18 points while Mellette finished with 17. Campbell had 16 for the Eagles and Britton scored 15 before fouling out.
Assistant sports editor Thomas Pope can be reached at popet@fayobserver.com or 486-3520.