Bartlett Yancey boys basketball gave hometown fans lots to cheer about last Tuesday evening, taking conference leading Seaforth into overtime before losing a close one 54-51.
“We put it all together tonight,” said Matthew Sidney, a junior who led Bucs scoring with 19 points. “Even though we lost, I make it a good win for us.”
In mid December BY had lost at Seaforth 59-40. But the Bucs, playing an aggressive brand of basketball, took it to the Hawks (13-6, 8-1) all evening, hanging with them to the end.
“We’re jelling,” coach Lou Williamson said. “We’re coming together as a unit. We’re starting to believe in one another. It took a while, but we’re getting there. We put a defense on the floor they’d never seen before and they didn’t have an answer for it.”
In the locker room afterward, he told his players: “You got that taste in our mouth of winning. We left it out there tonight.”
The loss snapped a three-game Bucs win streak. On Friday they lost again at North Moore (9-4, 4-3) 52-47. BY is now 6-10 overall and 3-4 in 1A/2A Conference 14.
Against Seaforth, the Bucs scrambled back from five points down in the fourth quarter, tying it at 42-42 on a steal and dunk by Jaylen Neal with about 30 seconds left. He and teammates held off the Hawks the rest of the way, forcing overtime.
In the extra period, Sidney put the Bucs up 48-47 on a lay up and foul shot with 1:44 left. But the Hawks took the lead again seconds later on a lay up and foul shot that gave them a 50-48 lead. They relied the rest of the way on clutch free throws by their 6’10” center Jarin Stevenson, a junior.
Jordan Johnson’s three pointer with about 15 seconds left got the Bucs within a point at 52-51. But another pair of Stevenson free throws iced the Hawks win.
“They just got away from us,” said Sidney. Neal joined him in double figures with 16 points.
Against North Moore, the Mustangs seized control of the game early and held off a late BY charge for the win. Sidney again led the Bucs with 21 points. Jordan Johnson added 10.
This week, BY was scheduled at home Tuesday against Graham (3-13, 0-8) and Wednesday against North Moore, and at Cummings (10-8, 6-2) on Friday.
