Overtime thriller between MEC boys basketball unbeatens goes to New Hanover

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After squandering a 15-point fourth quarter lead, the New Hanover boys basketball team regrouped and scored on six of its nine possessions in overtime to escape with a hard-fought 57-54 victory at Hoggard on Tuesday night.

“Before overtime started we said we just needed to play Hanover basketball and win the game,” said Wildcats sophomore Dee Barnett, who finished with 11 points and four assists.

The rivals entered the game as the lone unbeatens in the Mideastern Conference and for a while it looked like the contest was going to be a runaway for the visitors.

Terrific defense gave New Hanover (10-3, 6-0 Mideastern) a 27-13 halftime lead. They forced Hoggard to commit an uncharacteristic 12 turnovers in the opening half and turned them into 13 points. The Vikings finished with 17 for the game.

Mikai Stanley hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final four minutes of the second period, including one just before the buzzer. The senior tied for a team-high with 11 points and added seven rebounds.

More sloppy play from Hoggard allowed the Wildcats to build their lead to 15 on three different occasions in the second half, including 39-24 following a putback from Abrahm Driver with 7:25 to play. 

Hoggard (12-3, 5-1 Mideastern) answered by scoring on 11 straight possessions down the stretch to send the game to overtime. 

Junior guard Brady Rankin scored 10 of his game-high 22 points over the final eight minutes.

A putback from Jacob Fisher put the Vikings on top 45-44 with 1:06 to play, but Maleec Myers answered on the other end by hitting a pair of free throws with 21.4 seconds on the clock.

Hoggard’s Sabastian Haidera was fouled with 2.8 seconds remaining and hit the first free throw to tie the score, but the second didn’t go down and the game went to overtime.

“We played not to lose and this bunch when they are like that they are thinking to much,” New Hanover coach Kirk Angel said. “We are better when we are staying aggressive, so I’ll take that on me.”

Driver converted a three-point play on the first possession of the extra period and made another layup on the ensuing possession to put New Hanover up five.

After Jackson Massey came up with a steal and a layup to tie the score at 53-53, Drive scored the final two of his 11 points to put the visitors on top for good with 47 second left.

“(Abrahm) is getting there,” Angel said. “He’s a work in progress, but he’s extremely coachable and a fantastic kid.”

Hoggard got a good look from Massey from the left corner to try to tie the game and force a second overtime, but it didn’t fall.

The Wildcats were a little shaky down the stretch from the free throw line, making only 5 of 11 in the extra period, but they still managed to pick up the impressive victory.

Driver added eight rebounds and New Hanover also got 10 points from Maleec Myers.

Haidera and Cameron Blanks each finished with seven points and Massey added six for the Vikings.