Trailing 43-44, L-R’s Dominique Miller took the inbound pass and dribbled twice before knocking down a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded, giving the Hornets the 46-44 win and putting a damper on the Griffins’ region title hopes.
The Griffins (13-7/4-3 Region IV 3A) entered the night riding a three-game win streak and were two games behind L-R for the top spot in the region.
FC used lock-down defense early on and was slowly building a head of steam, taking a 23-11 lead with just under two minutes before halftime.
FC was ahead 26-17 at the break.
The two teams battled back and forth in the third with Hornet guard Malcolm Rhett and FC’s Mikel Trapp providing most of the offense for their teams. The Griffins were still holding on to a 9-point advantage going into the final eight minutes of play.
Then, Fairfield’s offense went blank in the fourth quarter, knocking down only two field goals and going four-for-seven at the line. Lower Richland outscored FC 18-8 in the period with Miller’s 3-pointer at the buzzer sealing the deal.
“This one hurts. We lost focus and never got back on track,” Trapp said. “This one will sit with me for a while. We did exactly what we didn’t want to do and that was give them an opportunity to get back in the game.”
Trapp again led all scorers with 18 points – 13 in the first half – four rebounds and three steals. Shaquille Crumpton finished with six points two rebounds and four assists in the losing effort.
The Griffins will look to rebound tonight against A.C. Flora in the final home game of the season. The senior players will be honored during a special half-time presentation. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Post a Comment
