Benedictine’s battle with New Hampstead was expected to be an epic tussle, epitomizing a vintage heavyweight boxing title bout.
It lived up to its anticipation, and New Hampstead delivered the final blow in front of an overflow crowd at Benedictine’s gym. It silenced an anticipated raucous home Cadets’ crowd, and lifted the visiting Phoenix onlookers into a state of pandemonium as they rushed the floor.
The Phoenix’s RaShawn Truell drilled a three-pointer in the final seconds that lifted New Hampstead to a 59-58 victory, keeping them undefeated in Class 4A Region 3 play (5-0) and raised their overall mark to 14-5. It also was the seventh straight victory for the Phoenix.
It was a night when Benedictine played well enough to keep a six-game winning streak alive, but they couldn’t close the deal against a team that showed its mettle all night.
Benedictine head coach Frank Williams noted his team’s effort, but he knows it is still a process.
“The opportunities we had to create some separation we didn’t execute,” said Williams. “That’s what happens when you’re in a battle with untested guys. We’re not disappointed in our effort at all. We have to get better and more detailed oriented as well as some more buy-in from some more kids.
“We got a little bit of a cushion, but we didn’t secure it. That’s because we don’t have that kind of experience yet.”
With 2:57 left in the game, Benedictine held a seemingly 55-46 lead, but New Hampstead was relentless in the pursuit. They narrowed the gap to 55-51 on Truell’s three-pointer with 1:38 remaining.
Benedictine again seemed in control of the outcome when Houston Jackson sank a pair of free throws and Wyatt Eastabrook added one to give the Cadets at 58-53 cushion with 14.5 ticks left.
However, New Hampstead’s Toland Daughtrey drained a long three that cut the lead to 58-56 with just 7.4 seconds remaining.
Benedictine lost possession on the inbounds, and Truell scooped up a loose ball, and netted the winning shot. He led the Phoenix with 14 points and upped their winning streak to seven games.
With the loss, Benedictine has their six-game winning streak snapped as well as a home-undefeated mark of 13 straight. The Cadets fell to 8-4 overall and also suffered their first Class 4 Region 3 defeat (3-1).
Cadets’ junior Caleb Jones, who has been averaging better than 26 points per game, reeled off 13 consecutive points in the third quarter that helped the Cadets regain the lead and have a 45-40 advantage heading into the final stanza.
Jones, who had 17 of 25 points in the second half, expects his team to eventually reach another level. Teammate LaDon Bryant added 14 points for the Cadets.
“In the third quarter, I was hot-handed and wanted to let it go,” said Jones about his shooting night. “I didn’t struggle early on, and I just needed to get warmed up. I think we’re almost there. They have played 19 games and we’ve played 12. We have been working to come together at practice.”
Williams sees a similar picture. He anticipates another barnburner when his team travels to New Hampstead Feb. 6.
“I’m not disappointed where we are,” added Williams. “But I haven’t seen the light yet. We’ve had battles with them in the first games we play them every season. A couple of years ago, we beat them on a buzzer-beater like that. They got the victory tonight.”
PHOTO Credit: Noell Barnidge Benedictine Communications Director
FOLLOW the Prep Sports Report on Twitter @PrepSav and Instagram savannahsportsreport. If you have any scores, information, or story ideas to share, please email kdemasi@prepsportsreport.com.
Optim Orthopedics is a well-known name in Savannah's high school sports community, providing crucial medical support to local high schools. They have dedicated fellowship-trained Orthopedics Surgeons, including Dr. David Sedory for Benedictine Military, Bradwell Institute, and Liberty County, Dr. David Palmer for Calvary Day, Richmond Hill, and South Effingham, and Dr. Thomas Alexander for Savannah Country Day and St. Vincent's. Optim Orthopedics's commitment to local athletes runs deep. They are proud sponsors of the Prep Sports Report, whose motto is, "Optim Orthopedics gets you back into the game.
