Buzzer beater sets stage for NaFo comeback win

The Fort Mill boys basketball team got off to the perfect start at home against rival Nation Ford, but the Falcons stayed poised and came away with a hard-fought 64-61 win to give the Falcons a one-game lead in region play.

In front of a standing-room only crowd last Tuesday, the Yellow Jackets jumped all over the Falcons to start the game and sprinted out to a 10-0 lead to the delight of the home crowd and held the lead until midway through the third quarter.

Khydarius Smith scored off an offensive rebound to give the Falcons their first lead of the game at 35-34, but Fort Mill traded buckets until the Falcons took control on the final score of the third quarter and never trailed again.

“I don’t know how we got through it,” coach Jared Adamson said of Fort Mill’s hot start.

“I think we just weathered the storm and stuck with the game plan. We knew they’d be in their 2-2-1 and 2-3 zone and I knew in the back of my head we were going to be OK. They were killing us on the offensive glass and we were settling for 3-pointers, but we stayed the course and settled in.”

Fort Mill senior forward Keaton Griffin had a big first half, finishing with eight points and six rebounds, but Nation Ford star Zeb Graham drilled an NBA-range 3-pointer seconds before the half to cut the Fort Mill lead to 32-25.

“Zeb hit that three at the buzzer and it gave us some momentum coming back,” Adamson said. “We did a better job crashing the boards in the second half. (Smith) did a much better job rebounding in the second half.

“We talked to him at halftime and said, “Khy, we need you to step up, we need you to rebound and we need you to defend.’ He responded and didn’t let his team down in the second half. He rebounded, hit some shots and played well for us.”

Smith scored two points and had one rebound at the half, but finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and three assists to help Nation Ford outscore Fort Mill 19-11 in the third quarter, which proved to be the difference.

When Smith wasn’t leading the offense in the second half, Graham was. He scored 14 of his game-high 24 points in the second half and seemed to hit big shots every time the Falcons needed one.

“Zeb can go out and get a bucket when we need it,” Adamson sad.

“His teammates do a good job of getting him in spots where he can make shots and other times he gives it up and guys make shots. It’s fun to watch. Sometimes I’m out there saying, ‘OK, what are you seeing?’ and we go with that. He’s got a very high basketball IQ and I’m going to enjoy coaching him for the next couple of years.”

The Falcons, who were playing without junior guard Eric Moulds, who sprained an ankle in practice and was in a walking boot, got big lifts off the bench from Grayson Loftis, who scored six points and grabbed four rebounds, and Drew Wilke, who accounted for five points, two rebounds and an assist.

Fort Mill had three players in double figures, including senior point guard Ryan DeLuca, who led the Yellow Jackets with 17 points and added six assists and three rebounds. Rob McIntyre scored 15 points and Griffin ended the game with 10 points and six rebounds.

The Yellow Jackets trailed 61-54 late in the fourth quarter, but went on a 7-3 run that ended when DeLuca couldn’t connect on two 3-pointers, including his last attempt as time expired.

“I told the guys after the game it doesn’t get much better than this,” Adamson said. “You come into the gym in a hostile, playoff environment and we lived in the moment. We talk about creating memories, and this is a game these guys aren’t going to forget for a long time.”

Turning Point

Graham’s 3-pointer to beat the first half buzzer set up the Falcons’ second half run, but Smith’s put-back basket to give Nation Ford its first lead of the game proved to be huge.

Critical

Graham made six 3-pointers in the game, but his biggest shots came down the stretch at the free throw line. After going 1-2 in his previous trip, Graham calmly sank both free throws with 14 seconds left to push the lead to the game’s final margin.

Star contributions

Graham was once again sensational, pouring in a game-high 24 points, but Smith matched him in the second half, tallying eight points, 11 rebounds and three assists after intermission. DeLuca was great for Fort Mill as well, with 17 points, six assists and three rebounds.

On deck

Fort Mill will travels to Rock Hill on Jan. 31, while Nation Ford hosts Rock Hill on Jan. 27.

This story was originally published January 27, 2017 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Buzzer beater sets stage for NaFo comeback win."