By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
A highly-anticipated boys’ basketball showdown between Southeast Alamance and Williams lived up to the billing Friday night.
Southeast prevailed for a 79-72 overtime road victory amid an electric atmosphere.
“That’s what we live for,” Southeast guard James Kenan said.
Williams coach Jimmy Lloyd said, “It’s never good to be on the wrong end of a classic.”
Williams guard Bubba Sims played the two previous seasons for Southeast and, combined with new teammate Colby Elliott, the Bulldogs just about stole the show as the teams clashed for first place in the Mid-Carolina Conference.
Then the Stallions charged back from a 12-point, fourth-quarter hole.
“Just staying in the game and not giving up,” Kenan said. “Keeping a level head and we could come back.”
Donnie Fairley racked up 24 points and 12 rebounds, Kenan posted 19 points and Davian Edwards had 16 points for the Stallions.
“The crowd being loud and I think we were being energized,” Fairley said. “We had to work harder and communicate.”
Sims scored 10 points in the first quarter, capped by a buzzer-beating launch from beyond halfcourt. That raised the volume that had already been at elevated decibels, pushing the Bulldogs’ lead to 18-7.
The Stallions climbed to within 31-26 by halftime and then surged into the lead in the third quarter. Sims went to the bench for the first time.
Elliott went off. He scored the next seven points, including a banked-in 3, as Williams regained the lead. By the time the Bulldogs completed a 15-3 run, Elliott had 11 of those points and Williams was up 50-40.
Robert Davis began the fourth-quarter scoring with a basket off a rebound. Then, it was Southeast’s turn again.
“It was a highly energized game and sometimes you don’t make good decisions down the stretch,” Lloyd said.
JaKhai McKenzie’s second 3-pointer of the quarter closed the gap to 57-56 with about four minutes left. Nate Yellock’s jumper gave the Stallions the lead at 62-61, but Sims countered with a floater from 12 feet away with 1:30 to go.
Williams’ Kyrian Fuller sank two free throws before Edwards drained a tying 3-pointer at the 39-second mark. A turnover on an illegal screen foul gave the Stallions the ball and they were holding for the last shot. Sims made a steal and was fouled with less than a second left, but the Bulldogs weren’t in the bonus and they never got a shot off on the last-gasp situation.
Fairley had eight points and Kenan notched four points in overtime.
“I trust my guys,” Southeast coach Bo Williamson said. “Just stay the course. (Nothing is) better than experiences like this.”
McKenzie had half of Southeast’s eight 3-point baskets for all his points. The Stallions overcame 15-for-32 free-throw shooting.
Elliott’s 28 points and Sims’ 22 points paced Williams.
After all that, one more thing worth knowing: February 3 at Southeast.
