Jags lose at the buzzer in semifinals
BIRMINGHAM – In a moment, it was over.
The Spain Park High School boys basketball team’s dream season ended on a putback, as Josh McCray scored at the final buzzer to lift Enterprise to a 57-56 win in double overtime in the Class 7A state semifinal on Tuesday at Bartow Arena.
“It was an outstanding basketball game,” Spain Park head coach Chris Laatsch said following the game. “They made one more play than we did.”
A Spain Park turnover with 20 seconds to play gave Enterprise the ball back with a chance to win. McCray drove to the basket and missed the shot, but he got the rebound and scored it as the buzzer sounded, sending the Wildcats into a frenzy.
The game started fast for both sides, with Enterprise taking a 9-7 lead less than four minutes into the contest. But bridging the first and second quarters, Spain Park went on a 12-4 run to open up a 19-11 lead. Enterprise fought back and closed the gap to 22-20 at the halftime break.
At the half, Josh Harrington led the Jags with eight points, while no other teammate had more than three points.
A JR Lambert 3-pointer extended Spain Park’s lead to 36-28 with 1:41 left in the third quarter, but Enterprise used the remainder of the period to go on an 8-0 burst to tie the game at 36-36 entering the fourth.
Enterprise threatened to put the game way in the fourth quarter, extending its lead to as many as six points with four and a half minutes left in regulation. But a Blake Floyd 3 with 1:31 left in regulation cut the Jags deficit to 46-44 and Cam Crawford converted a layup in the final seconds to tie the game and send it to overtime.
In the first extra period, Colin Turner scored all five Spain Park points, the last of which gave the Jags a two-point lead with 52 seconds to play. But an Enterprise basket with 10 seconds left tied the game at 51-51 and Crawford’s attempt at the buzzer went begging.
Turner started slow, scoring just two points in the first half. But he finished with a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds in an outstanding second half and overtime performance.
“The seniors were encouraging me to keep going and playing as hard as I could,” Turner said.
After making a run to the regional final last year, Spain Park entered the season with high hopes and did not disappoint. The Jags posted a 27-7 record, winning the Area 6 tournament as well.
“These are great guys,” Laatsch said. “I love my players. I told them in the locker room just a minute ago all I asked you to do was give me a great attitude and a great effort and they did that. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get them further.”
The Jags will graduate eight seniors. In their high school careers, they rose from winning five games as freshmen, to seven as sophomores, to the brilliant runs of the past two years.
“I hurt mainly for our senior class,” said Harrington, who finished with 12 points in the game. “They were here at the beginning and everyone doubted us. They carried through and bought in for the last three years.”
Enterprise was led by McCray, who had 17 points in the game. Elijah Terry and Quentin Hayes each scored 14 for the Wildcats. They will play Oak Mountain in the final Wednesday afternoon.