In a raucous atmosphere at Columbia High School with both teams feeling like the home squad at different points of the game, Friday night’s matchup between East Marion and Columbia didn’t disappoint.
For the majority of the fourth quarter, it seemed like the Wildcats were going to pull off the upset after TJ Monroe scored six straight points for Columbia to give the Wildcats a 47-42 lead with 55 seconds to play, but Flenard McLin and Jordan Howard had other plans.
Following an East Marion miss, the Eagles defense forced the Wildcats to commit a crucial backcourt violation. Howard drove strong to the rim and was fouled to set up two free throw attempts. He made the first and missed the second, but John Rawls pulled down the offensive rebound and made the putback to cut the CHS lead to 47-45 with 34 seconds remaining.
Two Wildcats free throws after an intentional foul stretched the lead back to four, but Howard once again immediately drove strong to the basket, drawing the foul and sinking both free throws to make it 49-47.
“Howard’s free throws were critical in setting up the game-winning scenario,” East Marion head Calvin Brown said. “I thought the focus and determination on his face was contagious and gave us the confidence that we could find a way.”
That determination translated to the defensive end as the Eagles executed a perfect trap on Nick Averett in the backcourt that forced a high pass to Detorres Lewis, who couldn’t handle it, gifting the Eagles with a chance to tie the game. They did just that as Vashon Sims made a crucial layup to tie it at 49-49 with 12 seconds left.
Averett was able to draw contact and get to the line with under 10 seconds left, then made the first to put the Wildcats back on top. However, he missed the second, and McLin grabbed the rebound, raced the full length of the court and drew contact to set up two free throws with the chance to win the game.
“I just wanted to draw the foul or make the layup,” McLin said. “I always say that I want to be the one to either win it or lose it for my team. I like the big moment. I want the ball in my hands in crunch time. My coaches told me to attack, and my teammates did a good job of setting me up so I could attack.”
McLin calmly stepped to the line and sank both free throws with 2.5 seconds left to give the Eagles their first lead of the fourth quarter. Monroe tried a desperation heave just past midcourt as the buzzer sounded, but it was offline and the Eagles pulled off the comeback to win 51-50.
“For Mac (McLin), I’m just proud of him and want to congratulate him because that’s a lifetime moment,” Brown said. “That’s two shots he’s going to remember for the rest of his life.”
The Eagles went into the contest with more experience and depth to go along with a distinct size advantage, but the Wildcats mitigated those advantages with superb shooting from behind the arc — led by Averett’s four 3-pointers — and constant aggressiveness by Monroe, who finished the game with 13 made free throws on 15 attempts.
“One of the things was East Marion didn’t quit; that’s first and foremost,” Columbia head coach Charlie James said. “The most important thing for us is we didn’t take care of the ball. We had some turnovers at some inopportune times and missed some free throws there at the end, but I think the pass up the sideline from Nick was a key turnover. It was the turnover that changed the tide because if we make that pass and get out (of the backcourt), I think we would’ve been fine. We just didn’t take care of the ball well enough. I’ve been preaching for the last three or four games that in crunch time there’s certain things you have to do, and we’re just not doing them right now.”
Down the stretch, it was evident Monroe wanted the ball in his hands and wanted the opportunity to close out the game for the Wildcats. He was searching for his shot, driving hard to the rim and drawing contact to get to the line, finishing the game with a game-high 23 points to go with nine rebounds and four steals.
“Last year, TJ became one of our go-to-guys, and this year he’s kind of carried that over,” James said. “He kind of pressed himself early, and I told him at halftime to calm himself down and let the game come to him. He settled down a little more in the second half, and we were able to see the benefits of it. He had a key turnover in crunch time, but he was being aggressive. I was telling him that the defense was pressing pretty hard so if you’re aggressive handling the ball, you’ll get to the line. He did that, but we just weren’t able to finish it.”
What cost the Wildcats most was their inability to take care of the basketball, committing 24 turnovers with Monroe turning it over 10 times and Averett six. James said the rivalry and atmosphere likely caused his team to play a little sloppy, particularly in the last minute of the game.
“It was a game of emotion. These kids know each other — they’re cousins, friends and rivals — but I told them they had to channel that emotion in a positive way,” he said. “Down the stretch — they don’t want to lose to one another — so I think with the free throw we missed late, we just got tight right there. The lack of execution was them getting tight. I do think the emotions played a part.”
The Eagles didn’t play their best basketball either, committing too many fouls and not being aggressive enough offensively for the majority of the game, but they flipped a switch with the game on the line.
“The whistle goes to the aggressor. Columbia was the tougher team until the last minute,” Brown said. “We were complaining about the calls they were getting, but they were getting them because they were forcing the action. We were playing passive. Down the stretch, I was extremely proud of how we hung in there and at least gave ourselves a chance. It could’ve gone the other way if we miss at the line or they make their chance at the line. But when you come out on top, it makes it even sweeter.”
While the Eagles are one buzzer-beater in the season opener to Bay Springs from being undefeated, Brown is still trying to learn his team and define roles for each player.
“When it gets thick, there’s a fight or flight mechanism that we all have. Who is going to fight and who is going to sink? Who is going to respond to a little constructive criticism? Who can bounce back from big plays the other team makes?” he said. “It’s just everything — what they’re made of and how they are wired — the more in you are in adverse situations, you learn who is who and the character and identity of your team. It’s still early.”
The Eagles were on the road at Laurel and the Wildcats were Northeast Jones Tuesday night, but results were unavailable at press time. Both will return to their home courts Friday as the Eagles host Picayune and the Wildcats host South Pike.
Pictured Above: TJ Monroe soars for a contested layup. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
