Published: 12:50 AM, Thu Mar 04, 2010
Clinton boys win in OT to reach regional final
By Al Myatt
Correspondent
GREENVILLE - Clinton achieved a first Wednesday night with a 57-48 overtime win against Cedar Ridge in the Eastern 2-A boys basketball regional semifinals.
"We made history tonight, getting to the regional final," said Dark Horses coach Brad Spell. "That's never happened before in Clinton basketball."
Spell noted that former Clinton coach Jim Squibb got teams to the regionals in 1995 and '97 but that those teams did not make the regional final. This year's team will face Friday's Kinston-Northwood winner for the regional championship at 3 p.m. on Saturday at East Carolina's Minges Coliseum.
The Dark Horses (25-6) trailed 41-35 with less than four minutes remaining in regulation against the Red Wolves (23-3). J.T. Miller's three-point play with 2:17 to go cut the Cedar Ridge lead to 43-42.
Clinton went ahead 44-43 on two free throws by Jaylon Robertson with 53.5 seconds left. Blake Tilley of the Red Wolves scored off an inbounds play from sidecourt for a 45-44 Cedar Ridge lead.
Robertson was back at the line with 26.1 seconds to go for two shots. He missed the first and the Red Wolves called a time out.
"I was going crazy," said Roberston, a freshman. "I knew I had to make it. I was the first one back out there after the timeout."
Robertson dropped the second attempt to tie the score at 45. Cedar Ridge's Jake Lliteras drove into the lane for a pull-up jumper in the final seconds but the potential game winner rimmed out.
"I saw as it left his hand that it was going to miss," said Clinton center Terry Farrior, who had 12 points and nine rebounds. "Then we put it together in overtime."
Roberton's 3-pointer with 3:08 left in the extra period put the Dark Horses ahead to stay at 49-47. Robertson finished with a game-high 14 points and also had three assists. Junior guard Vic Register added 13 points. Miller totaled 10 points and 11 rebounds.