Friday evening in Buckhead featured an overtime thriller in the boys game between the Carver-Atlanta Panthers and the Westminster Wildcats. The Panthers were able to survive in overtime winning 50-49 against a strong and determined Wildcat basketball team.
Region standings were on the line as the Panthers came into this game ranked first in Region 5-3A and a win would keep it that way. The Wildcats sought to move up in region rankings and build off of their three-game winning streak.
The Wildcats started off the game on an 8-2 run to gain momentum and confidence early. The Panthers struggled during the first quarter but managed to stay in the game as the Wildcats led 10-8 at the end of the first quarter.
As the second quarter began, the Panthers settled in and were able to get going offensively. Points were at a premium in this game but they outscored the Panthers 13-7 in the second quarter to lead 21-17 at halftime.
Panthers guard Amari Floyd found his rhythm from the three-point line helping the Panthers lead by as much as eight points. The Wildcats stuck around thanks to the great play of forward Jayson Longacre as it remained tight at the end of the third quarter. The Wildcats trailed 32-30 going into the fourth quarter.
Although the Panthers led for most of the game, they struggled to close in the fourth quarter, specifically at the free-throw line. The Wildcats took advantage of the Panthers’ free throw woes as they trailed by only two points with 6.6 seconds to go in regulation with the ball on their goal baseline.
Wildcats guard Bryce Mackson inbounded the ball to forward Henry Chartrand who missed the two-pointer but Mackson’s putback tied the game at 45 as both teams headed into overtime.
Overtime came down to a tie game at 49 with a chance for the Panthers to win the game. Guard Dominque Stovall went to the free-throw line and made his first free throw. Stovall missed the second as the Wildcats rebounded with 9.6 seconds to go.
Longacre who had a great game for the Wildcats pushed the ball up the floor while almost losing control because of the defense of Stovall. Stovall was able to put up a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded but the ball fell short of the rim, giving the Panthers a 50-49 win.
Floyd led the Panthers in this win scoring 15 points. Longacre led the Wildcats in scoring with 15 points.
The Panthers seek a win at Cedar Grove Saturday while the Wildcats will have to wait until Tuesday when they face Salem on the road.
Westminster Girls cruise to 66-19 over Carver-Atlanta
The girls of Westminster add another dominant win to their win column after defeating Carver-Atlanta 66-19.
Wildcats guard Stella Chartrand led the Wildcats in scoring with 17 points as great ball passing aided in her success.
The Wildcats jumped out to an early 24-1 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. The full-court press gave the Panthers a lot of problems getting to the basket and forced many turnovers.
Many Wildcats reserves gained a lot of playing time in this game as they were superior to the Panthers.
