COLUMN
It was a scene straight out of Hoosiers. Well, sort of, and without the nice ending.
Greenville Christian, a small Class 2A school with little resources, was in the Jackson area on Tuesday night playing for the MAIS Overall State Championship. Their opponent was Madison-Ridgeland Academy, a 5A school and one of the wealthiest and most tradition rich programs in the state. The Patriots had won this game 12 other times. The Saints had never played in it.
The game was played at Hartfield Academy, a state-of-the-art gymnasium with all the bells and whistles you could dream about. It was a far way from Greenville.
Yet, these Saints had kicked all the doors open before, and why couldn't this be just another door? They had earned their right to play in the biggest game on the biggest stage.
Greenville Christian Coach Logan Collins’ squad sported a perfect 24-0 record when the ball was tipped. It was time to get No. 25.
But that one more time looked ever more difficult once the game got under way. In the first half, MRA looked like the team in the higher class. Meanwhile, the Saints started sketchy.
The Patriots, led by Josh Hubbard’s 10 for 10 shooting, came out on fire and took a 40-27 halftime lead.
At halftime, the Saints more than regrouped. They came out on fire. Greenville Christian’s Kerrick Ross started the 3-point barrage by hitting a basket to cut the MRA lead to 11 points. The Saints then drained one three ball after another. Each basket caused the GCS faithful to grow into a deeper frenzy. The team from Washington County had a bunch of proud fans who loved to see them fight.
Daishun Scott, then Ross again and then Jeremiah Hilliard would all connect on 3-pointers to cut the lead to just one point, 48-47, with seven minutes to go.
DJ Smith then gave the Saints their first lead, 51-49, when he put back a rebound with five minutes to play.
The Saints would play the final minutes with aggression and certainty. They were confident. They made the championship plays. And, with two seconds left, they had a three-point lead and the championship trophy securely in their hands.
And then, fate intervened. Or, perhaps we should call it a series of unfortunate events.
The Saints had a three-point lead, 66-63, with two seconds left when DJ Smith grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Then a Greenville Christian player, thinking the game was over, came on the field to celebrate. The Saints were called for a technical foul. The Patriots then made a free throw and tied the game at 66-66 when MRA's Davis Dalton put back an air ball as time expired.
Whether or not the technical foul was warranted is up for debate. Even, Coach Logan Collins, always the gentlemen, said it was the right call.
This reporter, however, believes it may have been technically the right call, but it certainly did not feel like the Right call. Whatever the case, it certainly was understandable for the Greenville Christian player to start celebrating early. From the other side of the court, it sure looked like the game was over.
The overtime went about expected, and the Patriots would go on to win the game 77-72.
Give the Patriots credit. They took advantage of their good fortune, and made the key plays when they needed to, especially in the overtime.
For the Saints, however, the loss will always be a bitter pill to swallow. They were so close to the perfect ending, and to have the rug pulled from under you like that is just heartbreaking.
Time heals all wounds, of course. And the boys from Greenville Christian, who did win the Class 2A title, will always be remembered as a dominant and special bunch.
In the summer, the Saints were a group of strangers who came from different towns across the area. Now, the Saints are a true team and the players are like brothers.
David W. Healy is the sports editor of the Delta Democrat-Times. He can be reached at dhealy@ddtonline.com.
