Barnes sinks game-winning FT with 2.4 seconds left

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on January 21, 2015 1:48 PM

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Rosewood had been finding ways to lose close ballgames all season.

Until Tuesday evening.

Zack Barnes knocked down the game-winning free throw and teammate Dennis Mitchell added a layup at the buzzer as the Eagles slipped past Neuse Charter, 54-51, in a Carolina 1-A Conference boys' basketball game.

"It was an interesting ending to the game," RHS head coach Daniel Mitchell said.

More like nerve racking.

Clinging to a one-point lead with 77 seconds left in regulation, the Eagles (9-5 overall, 5-2 CC) resorted to a delay game. Neuse Charter let 40 seconds expire before it finally fouled and sent Dennis Mitchell to the free throw line.

Mitchell missed the front end of the one-and-one.

The Cougars rebounded, got the ball into DeVante Stevens' hands and the 6-foot-6, 179-pounder drove to the basket. Mitchell wrapped him up from behind and Stevens stepped to the line with 10.5 ticks left on the clock.

Stevens' first attempt clanged off the iron. His second shot easily slipped through the net for a 51-51 tie.

Then it got bizarre.

Rosewood rushed back downcourt, Marquail Al-montaser dribbled into a double team and kicked the ball out to Zack Barnes for an open 3. Barnes took the shot, missed and time expired.

Or did it?

And was there a foul?

Barnes had indeed drawn contact coming down after the shot and after a short chat, the officials put 2.4 seconds back on the clock.

"He made contact, so I did the best I could to draw the foul," said Barnes, who ended the night with nine points. "I got my free throws. I was a little nervous, I'm not going to lie, but I followed through on the second one."

Neuse's ensuing inbounds pass hit a net in the ceiling and gave the ball back to Rosewood underneath its basket. Mitchell drained a layup as time expired, and emerged as the game's top scorer with 21 points.

The Eagles led 27-16 with 5:44 remaining in the second period. The Cougars (9-10, 2-5) switched from a zone to man-to-man defense, started to force turnovers and slowly climbed back into the contest.

CJ Rouse's 3-pointer knotted the game at 31-all with 7 minutes to go in the third quarter. Josh Brunson scored his lone basket, an open-court layup, to forge a 33-33 tie with 6 1/2 minutes go.

"We turned the ball over some in the (second) quarter, weren't able to get some of the defensive stops we needed to and when you do that, the other team is going to get back into the basketball game," said coach Mitchell, whose team improved to 3-2 in contests decided by three points or less this season.

"We're still playing a little inconsistent."

Rosewood answered with an 8-0 run, that included a pair of offensive putbacks from Dennis Mitchell and a runner in the lane from Al-montaser.

Stevens gave Neuse its lone lead, 48-47, with 3-plus minutes left in the final quarter. The Eagles scored seven of the game's final 10 points.