Joshua Powers goes high to score for the Vikings. Powers had 11 points for Community. (Post Photo by Rickey Clardy)
By RICKEY CLARDY
Sports Writer
UNIONVILLE — The Community Vikings put up 35 points in the first half, but the offense struggled to score in the second half as a 5-of-18 performance at the free throw line was costly as the Vikings fell to the Clay County Bulldogs 61-59 in overtime in a basketball game Friday night.
“I mean, you know you’re shooting a bad percentage, but then I get the book back and it’s 5-of-18 and it’s like I didn’t know it was possible to shoot that bad from the free throw line,” Coach Hunter Ferrell of the Vikings said.
“But you know it is what it is.”
With Charlie Haskins and Joshua Powers each scoring eight points in the opening quarter, Community (7-3) jumped out to a 7-1 lead.
The Bulldogs came back to take the lead before the Vikings ended the quarter with the last four points to take a 19-17 advantage to the second quarter.
Haskins led the Vikings with seven points in the quarter, but the Bulldogs outscored Community 19-16 to take a 36-35 lead into the intermission.
Both teams had trouble scoring in the third quarter as the game remained close.
Haskins had five points for the Vikings as the game was tied 45-45 going to the final quarter.
It was over three minutes into the quarter before the Bulldogs scored the first points to take a 47-45 lead.
Despite scoring only six points and fighting through a 0-of-6 performance at the free throw line in the quarter, the Viking defense and intensity was tenacious as the Bulldogs could only score six points of their own.
Community could not cash in on two free throws in the final eight seconds as the score was tied 51-51 heading into overtime.
The Bulldogs scored the first five points in the extra time to take a 56-51 lead, but the Vikings fought back.
A trey by Jaxson Williams and a field goal by Johnathan Lawwell knotted the score at 56-56 with 1:40 remaining. Clay County reclaimed the lead, but a steal and layup by Lawwell tied the game at 58-58 with 1:17 left.
The Vikings took a 59-58 lead on a Lawwell free throw with 36 seconds left, but a Bulldog field goal and free throw put Clay County up 61-59 with six seconds remaining. Community had one final chance to win, but a three-point attempt missed the mark as the Bulldogs left with the win.
“That’s what I talk to our guys about all the time, what we do whenever we don’t make shots,” Ferrell said.
“We couldn’t buy one, and I thought we played hard enough to give ourselves a chance to win,” Ferrell added.
“I hate it for our guys because they played so hard, but we just didn’t make the plays that we needed to make to pull it out.”
Nolan Adams scored 28 points and Cole Eads added 17 to lead the Bulldogs.
Haskins had 22 points to lead four Vikings in double figures. Lawwell and Powers each had 11 points while Williams added 10.
Clay Co. 17 19 9 6 10 — 61
Community 19 16 10 6 8 — 59
Clay Co.: Nolan Adams 28, Cole Eads 17, Jake Copeland 8, JuJu Villa 2, Warner Melton, Aayden Cherry 6, Caden Copeland.
Community: Charlie Haskins 22, Johnathan Lawwell 11, Joshua Powers 11, Jaxson Williams 10, Masyn Hill 1, Karson Boyce 4, Andrew Tocchio, Zach Leathers, Maddux Thompson.
3-Point goals: Clay Co.: (6): Eads 3, Adams 2, Cherry; Community (2): Powers, Williams.
Halftime score: Clay Co. 36, Community 35.