PCA coach may appeal overtime loss to Trinity

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, December 19, 2000

A power failure and some possible scorebook shenanigans may have cost the Porters Chapel Academy Lady Eagles a victory Saturday night against Trinity.

Trinity beat PCA 84-81 in overtime, but a power failure at halftime knocked out the scoreboard. Relying on updates from the scorer’s table and their own bench, PCA coach Mitchell Willis said he thought his team was ahead in the closing moments of regulation.

The Lady Eagles (11-6), thinking they had a 76-74 lead, dribbled out the clock. But the game was actually tied 74-74 according to the official scorebook and it went into overtime, where Trinity pulled out the win despite E.J. Willis’ 37 points.

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After the game, however, Willis said he took a look at the books and his team’s points didn’t add up to the final score meaning the Lady Eagles may in fact have been ahead at the end of regulation.

“If you get beat, that’s fine,” Willis said. “But I can’t accept getting beat if you don’t lose.”

Willis said he would review videotapes of the game, then decide whether or not to file an appeal with the MPSA.

“It’s not a conference game, and it was a good game anyway. I’m not going to raise a lot of stink about it,” Willis said.

K.K. Willis had 21 points and Brady Willis added 22.

Sarah Greer led Trinity with 31 points.

It was PCA’s third straight loss, but first this season to an Academy-A team.

“They’re probably one of the better single-A teams in the state. like we are,” Mitchell Willis said, adding, “and they’ll be there at the end, like we’ll be.”