Cottage loses to Cross Keys 57-54 in thrilling double overtime
12/15/23: The Cottage School Cougars played host to the Cross Keys High School Indians on Friday night. The last time these two played each other was last January and the Cougars pulled off a crazy 31-29 finish. Noone could predict what transpired at the Cougar Center this evening was going to be more entertaining. Twice the home team trailed, late in regulation and again in overtime but TCS never gave up and emphatically made comebacks to force double overtime. Neither team made a field goal in the second extra period, but CKHS made four free throws to Cottage’s one and the Indians pulled off the exciting 57-54 contest.
With .28 seconds remaining in regulation, Cross Keys just made a free throw to go ahead 46-40. After missing the second free shot, Maxwell Lagan corralled the rebound and went coast to coast converting on a layup to make it a four-point game.
Coach Briggs called his final timeout in hopes of any chance to make a comeback, with .22 seconds left. The Indians lined up their full court pressure play but before it could be executed, Andrew Dorsey stole the inbounds pass, made an off balanced pass to Lagan, who was putting pressure on the inbounds pass, and he laid it up and in with .15 seconds remaining; 46-44 CKHS.
Cross Keys coach calls a timeout to draw up another play hoping for a different result. The Cougars lined up defensively the exact same way with long-armed Lagan facing the ball to make it difficult for CKHS to inbound. The Indians play design was for one kid to go deep. The in bounder threw it long but it was intercepted by Jackson Barnes who then threw it to Weston Kershner at midcourt. Weston drove left-side and fed Lagan who was on the block waiting. He then turns into the middle, elevated over a defender, and swished a soft jumper to tie the game at 46.
CKHS still had 4.6 seconds, so they called their final timeout to draw up a chance to win. Their best player (#3, who finished with a remarkable 33-point effort) made it all the way to the basket and laid up a shot that just missed at the buzzer; we had overtime.
In the bonus stanza, both teams scored 7 points each. The Indians scored with .10 seconds remaining for a 53-51 lead. With no timeouts remaining, Cottage inbounded the ball, breaking the full court CKHS pressure with ease. Lagan again had the pumpkin dribbling down the right side as time ticked away. He drove to the basket and took a shot with a defender all over him. The shot misfired and Davis Bradley snatched the offensive rebound. He pivoted away from a defender and calmly kissed the ball off the glass at the buzzer.
This shot tied the game at 53, forcing the game to double overtime as the Cougar Center went bananas.
In double overtime, neither team scored a field goal. TCS had a chance to take the lead and later tie with key free throws but fell short. CKHS converted on 4-6 from the charity stripe compared to the Cougars’ 1-4. Cottage still had two shots and an inbounds chance for one more but both shots misfired, and they bobbled the inbounds pass with .7 seconds left as time expired. Cross Keys held on in the end with the 57-54 victory but not without a Cottage fight!
TCS came out on point in the first quarter. CKHS were dizzy watching the Cougars’ ball movement resulting in a Cottage 15-4 lead. The Indians knew they had better pick it up on defense or they were going to get blown out. Sure enough, the CKHS coach put on full court pressure and never let up. Fans could see that for them to have a chance they needed to make the contest a physical one. The Indians stayed in a man-to-man full court pressure the entire game making stamina and poise #1 priority for TCS. Unfortunately for the home team, the pressure created issues, resulting in way too many turnovers. Cross Keys got back in the game, but Cottage still held a 22-17 halftime lead.
CKHS took their first lead at the 5:36 mark in the third period, ahead 27-26. The Cougars did not fold, the game went back and forth from that point on. Tied at 32 a piece with a minute left, TCS made a quick 4-0 run and reclaimed a 36-32 advantage to end the quarter.
In what usually is the final period, Cross Keys fought back, tying the game again at 40 with just four minutes remaining in regulation. The Indians then went on a 6-0 run over the final three and a half minutes ahead 46-40, before the Cougars’ epic comeback.
TCS will play one last game in 2023 next Wednesday at home versus the North GA Falcons. It will be an early contest since it is exam week, and the kids get out of school at noon. The boys will play at 3:30 PM after the girls tip off at 2:00 PM.
Game Notes:
Maxwell Lagan finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocked shots, and 4 steals.
Jackson Barnes put in 16 points and 3 assists. He also made three key plays late in regulation and in OT.
Jack Kane and Colin Barlow made big defensive plays in the paint. Barlow blocked 4 shots, had 5 points, and 4 rebounds and Kane blocked 2 shots to go with 4 boards, 3 points, and 2 assists.
Weston Kershner and Andrew Dorsey continued to harass their opponents in the backcourt. Kershner added 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals to go with 4 points. Dorsey also corralled 7 boards to go with 6 assists, 6 steals, and 5 points.
Davis Bradley came through with huge play after another. He took 3 charges,
stole 3 balls and came up with that huge offensive rebound putback that we will forever remember!