Hinds AHS bows out in double overtime|[3/7/06]

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, March 7, 2006

JACKSON – Free throws were anything but free for the Hinds AHS War Dawgs. They cost them a chance at a state title following Monday night‘s heart-breaking 78-74, double overtime loss to defending Class 2A State Champion Coahoma County in a state semifinal.

The loss ends Hinds’ season at 30-5. Coahoma County (34-5) advances to face the winner of this afternoon’s game between Hollandale Simmons and Bay Springs for the state title Friday night at the Mississippi Coliseum.

The pain of the loss was written all over the face of War Dawgs coach Keith Williams.

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&#8220This is a tough pill to swallow. It killed us,” a dejected Williams said of his team’s free throw problems.

Counting the fourth quarter and the first overtime, Hinds made just 10 of 24 free throws. At one point in the fourth quarter, they missed seven straight back-end free throws and six outright misses on both shots.

As good as the War Dawgs’ rebounding was, it was not enough to keep the defending champs from dangling off the hook.

&#8220I wasn’t happy with how the game was called, but we hung in there,” Coahoma County coach Isaiah Peterson said. &#8220We’ve played a very tough schedule, with outside games against 5A and 4A teams. I felt at some point, Hinds would crack.”

In the third quarter, it was the Red Panthers who were cracking up under Hinds’ pressure. Hinds’ quick rotation of guards JaCorey Wright, Jarnovian Washington, Anthony Mayes and Cedric Thompson helped create a 16-3 turnover advantage for the War Dawgs.

The last four steals made for a 10-0 run that gave the War Dawgs their biggest lead of the game at 50-39 following a basket by Kenderek Washington with 2:49 left in the quarter.

Then Peterson made a switch, befitting a coach that is approaching 900 career wins. He put senior guard Terrance Calvin on Wright, a sophomore. Hinds’ offense was never the same.

&#8220We made some costly turnovers, because basically, you had an experienced senior going up against our sophomore guard in JaCorey,” Williams said.

Hinds ended the quarter with five straight turnovers, three coming off straight steals by Calvin.

The Red Panthers used the momentum to open the fourth with a 13-4 run that evened the game at 55-all. It stayed tight for the remaining 3:38 of regulation and both overtimes.

Hinds’ clanks from the line prevented it from taking more than a one-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation, which ended tied at 62.

Four straight misses in the first overtime helped Coahoma grab a 69-66 lead with a minute to play. Joe White, who led Hinds with 15 points and 10 rebounds, finally made two straight free throws. Coahoma then got a three-point play from Thompson to tie it at 71.

A turnover gave Hinds a chance to win it in the final 24 seconds but Thompson’s drive to the basket was blocked by Coahoma’s 6-foot-7 center Ravern Johnson.

It was Calvin’s turn in the second overtime. He hit a 12-foot curl shot and then added two free throws for a 75-72 lead with 1:36 left. He ended with 20 points.

Hinds was still down three with 13.1 seconds left when Wright was short on a 3-point attempt. Coahoma’s Lester Rosebur made one free throw to seal the game.

Johnson led Coahoma with a game-high 31 points. The Red Panthers shot over 50 percent from the floor (29-of-57) while Johnson and Calvin were a combined 12-of-16 from the line.