GIRLS' BASKETBALL: Princeton outlasts Spring Creek

By Ben Coley
Published in Sports on January 26, 2017 9:57 AM

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PRINCETON -- In the fourth quarter, disaster struck at every turn for Princeton.

Careless turnovers, missed free throws and an injury to senior guard Jordan Benson. Each calamity allowed Spring Creek to hang around Wednesday evening.

The Gators' Destiney Sutton had an opportunity to increase the Bulldogs' catastrophe, but her last-second heave at the buzzer bounced off the rim and out.

Some how, some way, Princeton survived 42-39. The Bulldogs mustered just four points -- all free throws -- in the fourth quarter of the Carolina 1-A Conference game.

The 11 turnovers in the final stanza didn't help either.

"We've got to do a better job of handling pressure," said Bulldogs' head coach Paula Wooten. "That's one of our weaknesses. The girls can do it, but for some reason they don't have enough confidence in themselves to handle the pressure."

The Bulldogs carried a 38-30 lead into the fourth quarter and appeared to have full control. But Spring Creek kept grinding away at Princeton's defense.

With 41/2 minutes left, the Gators' Jordan Lane found Ashley Marriner for a wide-open jump shot -- 38-all.

Then a minute later, Spring Creek's Belinda Carson knocked down a free throw to give her team a 39-38 lead. The score capped a 9-0 Gators' run.

"I just talked to them about the will to win," said Gators' head coach Charlie Cotten. "Anybody can play the game. Anybody can go out and say, 'I want to do it.' But it's all about the will. You have to have the will."

Despite the fight and Cotten's motivational speech, the Gators would not score again.

Though it was a struggle, Princeton finally responded by sinking key free throws down the stretch. The Bulldogs' first points of the fourth quarter didn't come until there were three minutes left.

Princeton's Jazmaine McCain, like she has all season, controlled the paint with 19 points and 23 rebounds. Marriner led Spring Creek with 14 points, while Sutton pumped in 13.

Wooten acknowledged the game was much closer than it should have been. She added that her team is 8-1 in the conference and tied for first, but all that doesn't matter if the players don't act like it.

"I'd like to see them play with more confidence," Wooten said. "...You can't go out and play scared. And I think that's one thing we have to start doing."