Parkers Chapel outlasts Fordyce in double OT
PARKERS CHAPEL – In a battle for first place in the 2A-8 conference, Parkers Chapel downed Fordyce 54-50 in double overtime on Tuesday.
The Trojans improved to 13-6 overall and 11-1 in league play.
The Redbugs fell to 12-6, 8-2.
Fordyce won the senior girls’ game 47-26.
The boys’ game was knotted at 42-42 at the end of regulation.
PC’s Evan Younger converted a three-point play with 1:18 left in the first OT to give the Trojans a 45-44 lead.
Caleb Jacobs hit a pair of free throws with 19.7 seconds left to push the lead to three.
Fordyce managed to tie the game when Damon Rice hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 4.4 ticks on the clock.
Parkers Chapel never trailed in the second OT. Younger hit a pair of free throws to open the period.
Fordyce hit one free throw before the Trojans scored the next five points.
Terrell Malone scored on a drive to the hoop.
Tyler Killingsworth hit two free throws with 1:14 left and Younger added another at the line to push the lead to 54-48 with 8.6 remaining.
“We knew going in it was going to be a tough physical game,” said Parkers Chapel coach Josh Langley.
“I thought we controlled much of the second OT. We started to apply a little pressure at times and that helped us get some key stops and once we got the lead it was all about making free throws.”
PC led 10-9 after one quarter.
The game was tied at 19-19 at the half and 35-35 going into the fourth.
Younger led the Trojans with 17 points.
Malone scored 13 despite being face guarded throughout the game. Killingsworth added nine and Jacobs scored six.
“I thought we dominated the first quarter outside of four missed easy ones,” said Langley.
“Our shots didn’t fall well for us all night, so we are going to hit it hard tomorrow and put up a ton of shots in practice.
“In the second half it seemed like we were playing catch-up, but every time Fordyce hit a shot we responded.”
Younger drained a long 3-pointer as time expired to close the first quarter.
Killingsworth got loose for a lay-up to close the half.
“JT Phelps came up huge for us in the second quarter when we were struggling to get buckets and got two big ones to prevent Fordyce from pulling away,” Langley noted.
The Redbugs led 40-36 midway in the fourth. Jacobs scored on a driving lay-up before Malone tied the game with a bucket with 4:23 left.
Jaylen Parham gave Fordyce a 42-40 advantage with 3:22 left before Malone’s driving lay-up at the 3:12 mark.
Neither team scored over the final three minutes.
Fordyce turned the ball over with 52 seconds left.
The Trojans missed a shot with 20.8 left but got the ball back with a turnover four seconds later.
PC had the final shot of regulation but Killingsworth's jumper was off the mark.
“I would like to add a little something about our bench. Those guys stay in the game. They're loud and excited and it's just been a blessing to have those guys working hard everyday in practice knowing their day is coming,” said Langley.
“I want to thank our crowd tonight, also. They were awesome. Really helped us out in big moments when we needed that lift.”
In the senior girls' game, Fordyce used its size to wear down the Lady Trojans, who fell to 10-10, 7-5.
Parkers Chapel led 14-12 before the Lady Bugs outscored the Lady Trojans 11-0 over the final six minutes of the second quarter.
PC managed just one field goal in the third quarter and trailed 37-20 going into the fourth.
Drue Thomas scored six with eight rebounds and Kamryn Cross recorded six with seven boards.
Taylor Fortune scored five for the Lady Trojans.
Caitlyn Bulliner led the Lady Bugs with 13 points while Jadie Hines and NeMya Bailey each scored 10 as Fordyce improved to 13-5, 9-1.
Fordyce won the junior girls' game 42-38 in overtime.
Bella Frisby, who hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into OT, led the Lady Trojans with 12 points.
Makenzie Morgan and Kallie Martin each scored six.