Northwestern basketball season ends with tears after double OT loss to Spartanburg
For a moment — with the ball in the air, the double-overtime buzzer sounding — the packed Northwestern gym held its proverbial breath.
The crowd, which ultimately saw Northwestern fall against Spartanburg, 77-75, had roared throughout regulation. The Trojans had weathered a 14-0 second-half Spartanburg run and orchestrated a calculated comeback — one that culminated in senior Mason Grigg hitting four free throws and AJ Thompson finishing a layup over a taller defender with 6.9 seconds left to tie the game at 62.
The crowd had also roared in the first overtime, especially when a sideline inbounds play for a Ger-Cari Caldwell post-up worked as well it could. The senior finished at the rim to tie it at 70 to force more basketball.
But when starting guard Matthew White’s 3-point attempt hung in the air in double overtime — the season on the line for each team — the gym was quiet.
“I thought the ball went in,” Spartanburg head coach Fred Ford said after the game. “It was on the right trajectory... I was already thinking of something to tell the guys, to tell them how well they fought.”
The ball stayed in the air for what felt like a few minutes before it hit off the front rim and fell to the hardwood. And once it did, Northwestern’s season — one that saw the most wins in school history (23), a No. 3 final ranking in the state and a region title — was over.
The Trojans had fallen in the second round of the 5A state playoffs.
“I’m just heartbroken,” coach John Bramlett told The Herald, his eyes red.
Spartanburg repeats past at Northwestern
A very similar situation played out between the two teams last year: In the same round, in the same gym, Spartanburg defeated Northwestern, 60-58.
The two teams battled twice in the 2019-20 regular season — splitting the series, each team winning on its home court. And Saturday night looked a lot like the first two matchups. There were dunks. Every defensive rebound was a fast-break opportunity, and both teams had four ball handlers capable of bringing the ball up the court.
Northwestern was led by Grigg, who finished with 20 points; Caldwell, who finished with 25; and Thompson, who finished with 11. Spartanburg was led by Khalid Wannamaker, who scored 15.
Spartanburg’s season continues. The Vikings will face Dorman — “It’s time for somebody to beat ‘em, man; might as well be us,” Ford said postgame — in the third round of the 5A state playoffs.
And Northwestern’s season ends.
Outside of the locker room Saturday night, as teary-eyed players streamed out one by one, a dozen students and fans waited. They hugged and encouraged players who needed to be consoled.
“I’m just proud of our boys, proud of our program,” Bramlett said. The coach said farewell to several senior leaders on this team — including Grigg, Caldwell, Qua Allison, Malik Wafer, Russell Holley and Dwight Priest Jr., who suffered an injury and missed the second half of the season.
“We just gotta recover from this.”
Basketball scores throughout the Tri-County
- The Clover boys’ basketball team fell at Irmo on Saturday night, 59-34, in the second round of the 5A state playoffs. The Blue Eagles had a 13-11 lead after one quarter, but Irmo didn’t trail at any other break in the game. Donavon Fitzgerald led Clover with 13 points.
- The Andrew Jackson boys’ basketball team defeated Southside, 58-50, in the second round of the playoffs. The Volunteers were led by DJ Ealey, who scored 18 points, and Jalen Robinson, who scored 15. Andrew Jackson faces Abbeville on Tuesday at home.
This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 10:14 PM.
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