With less than 10 seconds remaining in regulation, the Columbus boys basketball team held a slim 69-68 lead over West Point and was looking to close things out.
Unable to shut the door from the foul line, the Green Wave were given some late life, overcoming what looked to be costly technical fouls and a six-point deficit.
However, things stalled after a travel was called, giving the ball back to the Falcons … only for them to travel and give the ball back to West Point.
That set up the stage for a final play to win the game. The ball ended up in the hands of Elijah Young, who had an open look from three and took it but hit back rim on the shot.
Down low was Shakobe Hammond for the Green Wave, who was able to get great rebounding position, got the offensive rebound and put it back up with seconds remaining, a game-winner as West Point (17-5, 4-1 Region 1-5A) escaped with a 70-69 victory.
“I was boxing out,” Hammond said. “The ball came over. I tipped it and I grabbed it and I just threw it up. As soon as it came out of my hand, I knew it was good.”
The tale of the tape on paper was much different than the final result, as records didn’t tell much of the story.
Columbus (9-13, 0-6 Region 1-5A) came into Friday night without a win in district play despite keeping up with the best in the district, while the Green Wave were winners of five of their last six overall.
In that first half, the Falcons played like anything but that district record and kept pace with West Point the entire game, building a sizable lead in the second half.
“We can compete with any team,” Columbus head coach Phillip Morris said. “I liked the way my guys competed tonight. We are fighting for each other, guys on the bench fighting for guys on the floor. It was a great, great effort.”
That effort ended up just short in the end despite great play from Jayden Tatum and Jeremiah Aaron down the stretch as Aaron finished with a team-high 22 points and Tatum finished with 16 for the Falcons, hitting two big 3s late in the fourth quarter.
For West Point, in a game where things ended up coming down to the last shot, a trio of players stepped up into big roles in the fourth quarter.
MJ Smith made his presence felt in the lane, hitting a few shots in the paint. Hammond was clutch throughout the entire quarter. And D.J. Willis had five points in the fourth and hit three big free throws after being fouled shooting a 3.
“We’ve been preaching being able to execute in the clutch,” West Point head coach Marquis Burnett said. “Down the stretch, I thought they executed very well. They’re a resilient bunch. They didn’t quit, and we were able to get some timely baskets.”
The final games of regular season and district play are coming up fast for both West Point and Columbus, as the Green Wave travel to play Saltillo and the Falcons close out their regular season schedule against Starkville, both at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
West Point girls 42, Columbus 38
For as much as West Point led during Friday night’s game, Columbus was never truly out of it, and like the boys game, this one came down to the final minutes and some big-time plays.
In the third quarter, it looked like the Green Wave had found a way to separate themselves from the Falcons, building as much as an eight-point lead toward the end of the quarter.
They were making shots and forcing bad decisions from Columbus, but a quick 4-0 run at the end of the third made it a four-point game going into the fourth.
Things were tied late, but an inability to make shots down the stretch for the Falcons (4-13, 3-3 Region 1-5A) and some key buckets for West Point (4-1 Region 1-5A) made all the difference in a 42-38 win.
“We were just going too fast and overthinking,” West Point head coach Montez “Tez” Calvert said. “We practice playing against the press every day, and we just needed to regain our composure. We found a way in the fourth.”
“On the road in a hostile environment, I didn’t care how we got out of here as long as we found a way to get out of here with a win.”
Malajae Robinson and Dukiaha Jones were two of the biggest playmakers for the Green Wave in the second half.
Jones hit a big 3-pointer in the fourth to extend the lead back to five points, and Robinson got fouled after making a layup following a missed Columbus free throw with seconds remaining.
The Falcons weren’t going down without a fight, but West Point, after making turnovers itself, began causing turnovers and bad shots the other way.
“We slowed down a little bit, started to see what we had to do,” Robinson said. “… I was just feeling so happy because at first, I thought they were going to get a shot off, but after I got that and-one, I was like, we got this. We got this in the bag.”
For Columbus, the inability to close out games has been a problem too often this season, and despite being down, the Falcons put up a good fight in the fourth.
They just couldn’t find a way to take the lead and seal the deal before the final buzzer sounded.
“I thought we couldn’t finish our shots,” Columbus head coach Yvonne Hairston said. “We had good looks right there at the basket. We just missed them.”
Both teams are back at it on Tuesday as West Point travels to play Saltillo and Columbus ends its regular season against Starkville, both at 6 p.m.
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