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2011 DAVID WRIGHT TOURNAMENT
Dramatic wins for South Point boys, Cherryville girls
December 30, 2011 11:25 PM
Mike Powell
CHERRYVILLE—The MVP trophy went to Taylor Williams for an overall excellent tournament, but Jordan Kagen was the hero of South Point’s buzzer-beating 65-63 win over Cherryville Friday night in the boys championship game of the David Wright Holiday Classic.
Kagen crashed the boards after a desperation shot and banked in the winning basket as time expired to give the Red Raiders (8-1) their first championship in Cherryville’s annual Christmas tournament.
In addition to his winning follow shot, Kagen hit a key 3-pointer from the right wing with a minute remaining to erase a 61-60 Cherryville lead.
The game was tied for a final time at 63 before South Point’s Deonte Gaston put up an off-balanced shot as the clock ticked down. The shot was not close, but Kagen darted along the baseline and hit the putback.
“I wasn’t sure how much time was left on the clock, but I always hustle. That’s what I was taught to do. I was in the right spot at the right time, I guess,” said Kagen, who had 13 for the game.
Williams led the Raiders with 16 to earn MVP honors. For Cherryville (8-5), Brandon Tuft had 20, Rhyer Davis 19 and Trent Friday 11.
Cherryville has lost in the last three finals by a total of five points.
Girls championship
Cherryville 55, South Point 53—The Lady Ironmen (8-5) ended 10 years of frustration in their own tournament behind 24 points and seven rebounds from tournament MVP Lauren Graham.
Cherryville overcame a slow start, an early injury to guard Sara Grace Allen, and a 10-point deficit going into the final quarter to deliver fifth-year head coach Donna Lavery her first Christmas title.
The win was especially satisfying for Graham and the other six seniors.
“This was pretty much our final goal besides conference,” Graham said. “We have been waiting four years for a Christmas tournament.”
A 79 percent free throw shooter on the season, Graham made 11 of 11 foul shots, five of them coming in the final 47 seconds to hold off the Lady Raiders (5-4).
It was at the start of the fourth quarter, with Cherryville trailing 36-26, that the senior center exerted her will on offense.
“When we were down by 10, I knew I had to pick up my slack and not let their defense dictate what I was doing,” said Graham, who scored 22 of her 24 over the last eight minutes.
Graham converted three three-point plays during that stretch, one of which gave Cherryville its first lead at 45-42, and she sank a 3-point field goal from the left wing.
“In the last minute, I started to feel it. When there was like 53.7 seconds left, I knew we had the momentum to finish,” she said.
Emily Whitworth, Kiersten Houser and Taylor Laskey also contributed points to Cherryville’s 29-point fourth quarter burst. Whitworth and Jacquilla Burris finished with eight points each for Cherryville.
South Point coach Scott Tudor said the game was a learning experience for his young club.
“We are still pretty much a young team, and we lost our composure a little and took some questionable shots. We have to learn to play with a lead a little, but Cherryville played hard and didn’t quit. It was a really good game,” Tudor said.
Lavery said she was “proud of these girls for what they accomplished, and especially glad for the seniors.”
For South Point, Brittany Green led with 15 points while Ashley Mull had 11 and Haley Stewart 10.
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