By Ronnie Gallagher
rgallagher@salisburypost.com
NORWOOD ó With 1.9 seconds remaining in a tie game, North Rowan guard Tiffany Brown listened carefully to coach Tony Hillian.
“He told us, if we wanted it, we had to go get it,” Brown said.
Brown got it ó the ball, that is, and she got the Cavaliers their first victory of the young season.
Not hesitating after receiving the inbounds pass, Brown launched a 20-footer that hit nothing but net as the horn sounded for a 47-44 win at South Stanly.
Losing the Yadkin Valley Conference opener would have been devastating for the Cavaliers, considering they were in control most the game.
Nikki Whitley had given the Rebel Bulls their first lead at the end of the third quarter, and after Allison Green hit a 3, South Stanly was up 37-33.
But North didn’t fold. Teaunna Cuthbertson hit two short jumpers, and when Cree Turner sank a 15-footer, the game was tied at 39.
That’s where Brown took over.
First, she knocked down a 3 for a 42-41 lead.
South went up again 44-42 with under a minute left and Brown scored the game’s last five points.
First, she made a steal at midcourt and zoomed in for a layup to tie things. That set up the final frantic moments.
Whitley missed a layup and Cuthbertson, who led the Cavs with 14, rebounded and called timeout with six seconds left.
North had the ball knocked out of bounds. Hillian said he called a play for a guard to rotate back for the ball.
That guard was Brown.
“That was her first game-winning shot,” Hillian said. “I was praying it would go in.”
South coach David Poplin just shook his head and gave credit where it was due.
“That was a tough shot to make with that much time left,” he said. “You make that shot, you deserve it.”
An elated Hillian likes where his team is headed.
“I told them to dig deep and finish this ballgame,” he said. “We did that. And once we get the chemistry down, we’ll be moving forward.
north rowan (47) ó Cuthbertson14, Brown 13, Bush 7, Roberts 6, Turner 4, Bagley 2, Vann 1, Davis, Berry, Sells.
south stanly (44) ó Whitley 16, Greene 10, Clark 6, Gaines 4, Poplin 2, Kimrey 2, Johnson 2, Dunlap 2, Dumas.
N. Rowan 11 10 10 16 ó 47
S. Stanly 9 8 15 12 ó 44