STARKVILLE — To put it lightly, Monday night was a must-win game for Heritage Academy and a great test for the postseason against rival Starkville Academy.
Rivalry games bring out the best in programs and a competitive drive that is often unmatched. It also paves the way for big-time, breakout performances from players.
Freshman Xzavier Webber had his moment on the road, scoring 24 points in a thrilling 65-61, double-overtime victory for the Patriots.
“I felt great,” Webber said. “I felt like I couldn’t miss, so I just kept shooting.”
Webber came out hot against the Volunteers, scoring 13 of his 24 points in the first half, including nine of Heritage’s 13 second-quarter points.
He knocked down a few open looks from the perimeter and mixed up his game well inside the arc, driving the lane to attract Starkville Academy defenders.
That opened up the floor for teammates to get involved, but with Webber having the hot hand, he was the go-to playmaker to start things out.
All told, Webber went 4 of 6 from the foul line and made his baskets count, especially in overtime, where the score remained close throughout.
Playing solid defense on top of great offense wrapped a bow on a banner night that ended with a big time win and a much-deserved locker room celebration.
“It was lit,” Webber said. “Everybody was yelling and throwing water around. It was a lot of fun.”
Ball control makes the difference late for Heritage Academy girls
High school basketball brings to the table both positives and negatives, but for a team that is trailing, the clock becomes anything but its friend.
With no shot clock, a team can theoretically hold onto the ball for an entire quarter and not put up a shot, so with Heritage Academy heading into the fourth quarter of Monday’s game against Starkville Academy, that’s exactly what happened.
Up 29-22, the Patriots were in no rush to get a shot off, so instead, they just held possession, holding it for the first three minutes of the quarter.
“I think we almost had the ball there for a two-minute stretch before they ever got the ball and then we ended up shooting free throws,” Heritage Academy head coach Miriam “Moe” Reed said. “The plan was not to not score. It was just to slow it down, just be really patient and take what they give us.
“We figured they would be kind of greedy and run through a passing lane and that may open up a lane for us to drive in.”
The Volunteers were only able to get the ball at all in the beginning of the quarter because Heritage failed to inbound within five seconds, turning the ball over.
It seemed like fouling would be how Starkville Academy would get possession back, with the Pats having to eventually head to the foul line.
However, even with the ball back in their hands, the Vols couldn’t make shots down the stretch and simply ran out of time as the Pats won, 36-24.
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