SPENCER — It seemed like old times in the North Rowan gym on Tuesday night, where the crowd got rowdy and the Cavaliers made spectacular, athletic plays to pull out a thriller.
The Cavs, once feared bullies in the 2A Central Carolina Conference, have been mired in a close-but-no-cigar rut all season, suffering four CCC losses by less than six points. But last night they knocked off second-place West Stokes 66-61 in overtime.
North got it done with heady play from point guard Lamar Geter, steady play from inside force James House, and OT heroics by Tristan Rankin and Dominique Bates.
Each member of that quartet played string music, combining for 56 points. Bates, a senior, had the game of his life with 15 points, the same number he’d scored in his previous five outings combined.
“Our hopes are still alive,” said a jubilant Bates. “This is a rebirth for us, the start of a new saga.”
Don’t laugh. This stunner moves North (6-13, 3-6) back in the hunt for one of the CCC’s four state playoff berths. A cluster of teams have either five or six losses. Someone must finish fourth, and the Cavs are as good a candidate as any.
“I felt like if we could beat either (first-place) Lexington or West Stokes (14-5, 7-2) the second time around the league it would give us a momentum boost,” said North coach Kelly Everhart. “This is an awfully big win.”
“For the first time all year, it felt like last season,” added Bates. “It hasn’t been much fun, because losing’s no fun. But tonight was amazing.”
The Cavs started off grating, rather than great, immediately falling behind 12-3. But that early success may have been a blessing in disguise. It lulled the Wildcats to sleep.
“We thought it was going to be easy when we got that early lead,” said West coach Dan Spainhour.
But then West, which relies heavily on the 3-pointer, went brutally cold and North took command during a wild third-quarter sequence in which it caught two breaks.
First, North appeared to have committed a backcourt violation working against West’s press. But there was no call and Geter hurdled to the hole for a three-point play. Seconds later, West star John O’Neal missed an unmolested dunk and compounded the error by hanging on the rim for a technical foul. O’Neal’s dunking disaster provided a four-point swing, because Geter marched to the other end and knocked down two technical freebies.
House followed with a stickback, and North, which had looked hopeless early on, had surged to a 43-33 lead.
“It’s been difficult for us to get a run going,” said Everhart. “Four points in a row’s been a big run for us this year. So that spurt was nice to see.”
Now the Cavs’ shaky confidence was firming up and Everhart was shouting “Play to win!” every few seconds.
West Stokes wouldn’t roll over, though. Down 10 with 4:57 remaining after a driving layup by the possessed Bates, West got clutch 3-pointers from Jared Bottoms and Matt Adams.
When Bates, struggling at the line, missed a pair of free throws with North leading 55-53 it handed West a chance to get even. And the Wildcats executed, getting the ball inside to Jonathan Baker, who drew a foul and cashed in two free throws with 11 seconds left for a 55-all tie. Geter’s hurried fallaway jumper from the right corner missed as regulation ended.
West had the momentum going into the OT session and appeared home free when House fouled out with 2:54 remaining. But with his team down 57-55, Bates, careened to the basket for a sweet, game-knotting scoop shot that brought down the house.
“I just wanted the ball,” said Bates. “I was in the zone.”
Then Rankin took over, first grabbing the defensive board on a missed Wildcat 3, then grabbing an offensive board after Geter missed on a 3. Rankin stuck that one back in for a three-point play and a 60-57 North lead with 90 seconds left.
“That offensive rebound was the key possession of the game,” said Spainhour.
It was far from over, though. O'Neal got loose inside for two. Then after Bates missed two more foul shots, Adams drained two free throws for a 61-60 West lead with 58 seconds to go.
Then Bates, who averages less than 4 points a game, took charge again. He drove for a go-ahead layup with 45 seconds left and was fouled on the play. He missed the free throw, but somehow out-fought everyone for the rebound. Naturally, he was fouled again and headed back to the line.
“Bates scraps, hustles, fights and claws,” said Everhart. “He was going to find a way to win this game.”
Bates found it by converting both free throws for a 64-61 lead. After the second one, he punched the air and heaved a sigh of relief that could be heard above the din in the boisterous gym.
West, which had no inside options after it lost big men O’Neal and Chad Burchette to fouls, missed several late 3s and the ever-present Rankin owned the boards. Rankin put in two clinching foul shots to secure the Cavs’ biggest win in a blue moon.
WEST STOKES (61) — O’Neal 21, Burchette 13, Baker 7, Bottoms 7, Gallimore 5, Adams 5, Hauser 3, Edmonds, Fowler.
NORTH ROWAN (66) — Rankin 16, Bates 15, Geter 14, House 11, Hawkins 4, Connor 4, Horton 2, Mitchell, Pemberton, Rutherford.
W. Stokes 12 10 11 22 6 — 61
North Rowan 5 20 18 12 11— 66
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