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SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — It all seemed to be going right for South Tahoe in the third quarter of the boys' basketball game in South Lake on Tuesday. But the fourth quarter belonged to Jordan Wright and Incline.
The Vikings ended the third with an 11-point lead after the Highlanders failed to convert a field goal in the quarter, scoring just one point on a Bobby Thoms free throw to South Tahoe's 10.
Momentum quickly jumped from the Vikings to the visitors, though, as the Highlanders limited South Tahoe to no field goals in the fourth, and just two free throws from Brandon Cramer. Incline erupted for 18 points in the final quarter, including a last-second three-pointer by Wright for a 42-39 win.
“I thought we had some good composure and poise in the last four minutes of the game,” said Incline head coach Brian Broaddus. “Got some key rebounds, executed on offense, and Jordan hit that big shot to win it.
“These kids are used to winning. They won the state title two years ago, not these kids but the school, we got second last year. They don't like to lose, so they'll keep fighting back. Things weren't good, I told them to just keep fighting, ‘Your shots will come. I don't think they'll (South Tahoe) keep shooting that good for the whole game.'”
Broaddus was right.
Midway through the fourth, Incline cut South Tahoe's double-digit lead to 37-34, with Cramer sinking two free throws for the Vikings' only points of the quarter to extend their lead to 39-34. Wright hit the first of his two fourth-quarter threes, after both teams exchanged a turnover, to pull within a basket of South Tahoe.
With about two minutes left, Cale Backinger put up a picture-perfect turn-around jumper right in front of the hoop that bounced in and out, leading to a Mitch Gehring basket off a pick-and-roll for Incline to tie the game at 39. South Tahoe got the ball back with about a minute and a half remaining, but turned it over at the other end of the gym to give the Highlanders the ball with a little under a minute left.
The Highlanders moved down the court with 56 seconds left in the game. Intent on taking the last shot, they passed up several open looks before Jack Clouthier found Wright on the left side of the court and a couple feet beyond the three-point arc. With just three ticks left on the clock, Wright launched a shot with a defender in his face that found the bottom of the net with just tenths of a second remaining in the game.
“We wanted to get either a good drive or kick for a three with about five seconds left. We cut it a little too close,” Broaddus said. “We had the ball in a JV kid's hands with about five seconds left, he made a nice skip pass. We wanted Jordan to shoot, but we wanted him to have it a little earlier to either drive or shoot.
“It looked good,” the coach continued. “He's a pretty good shooter in practice when he keeps his elbow in and he's got that follow through, he's a pretty good shooter. And I thought it had a chance.”
Wright led the Highlanders with 11 points, followed by Thoms with 10. Cramer led South Tahoe with 18 points, followed by Jacob Stowell with 14.
Incline, which routed Whittell 71-26 last Wednesday, improved to 7-1 in Mount Rose League play and 19-5 overall with two games remaining. South Tahoe fell to 4-5 in league.
— Bonanza Sports Editor Sylas Wright contributed to this report.
The Vikings ended the third with an 11-point lead after the Highlanders failed to convert a field goal in the quarter, scoring just one point on a Bobby Thoms free throw to South Tahoe's 10.
Momentum quickly jumped from the Vikings to the visitors, though, as the Highlanders limited South Tahoe to no field goals in the fourth, and just two free throws from Brandon Cramer. Incline erupted for 18 points in the final quarter, including a last-second three-pointer by Wright for a 42-39 win.
“I thought we had some good composure and poise in the last four minutes of the game,” said Incline head coach Brian Broaddus. “Got some key rebounds, executed on offense, and Jordan hit that big shot to win it.
“These kids are used to winning. They won the state title two years ago, not these kids but the school, we got second last year. They don't like to lose, so they'll keep fighting back. Things weren't good, I told them to just keep fighting, ‘Your shots will come. I don't think they'll (South Tahoe) keep shooting that good for the whole game.'”
Broaddus was right.
Midway through the fourth, Incline cut South Tahoe's double-digit lead to 37-34, with Cramer sinking two free throws for the Vikings' only points of the quarter to extend their lead to 39-34. Wright hit the first of his two fourth-quarter threes, after both teams exchanged a turnover, to pull within a basket of South Tahoe.
With about two minutes left, Cale Backinger put up a picture-perfect turn-around jumper right in front of the hoop that bounced in and out, leading to a Mitch Gehring basket off a pick-and-roll for Incline to tie the game at 39. South Tahoe got the ball back with about a minute and a half remaining, but turned it over at the other end of the gym to give the Highlanders the ball with a little under a minute left.
The Highlanders moved down the court with 56 seconds left in the game. Intent on taking the last shot, they passed up several open looks before Jack Clouthier found Wright on the left side of the court and a couple feet beyond the three-point arc. With just three ticks left on the clock, Wright launched a shot with a defender in his face that found the bottom of the net with just tenths of a second remaining in the game.
“We wanted to get either a good drive or kick for a three with about five seconds left. We cut it a little too close,” Broaddus said. “We had the ball in a JV kid's hands with about five seconds left, he made a nice skip pass. We wanted Jordan to shoot, but we wanted him to have it a little earlier to either drive or shoot.
“It looked good,” the coach continued. “He's a pretty good shooter in practice when he keeps his elbow in and he's got that follow through, he's a pretty good shooter. And I thought it had a chance.”
Wright led the Highlanders with 11 points, followed by Thoms with 10. Cramer led South Tahoe with 18 points, followed by Jacob Stowell with 14.
Incline, which routed Whittell 71-26 last Wednesday, improved to 7-1 in Mount Rose League play and 19-5 overall with two games remaining. South Tahoe fell to 4-5 in league.
— Bonanza Sports Editor Sylas Wright contributed to this report.
UP NEXT
Incline hosts Truckee on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and plays at North Tahoe on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. to wrap up the regular season. The top eight seeds from across the Northern 2A advance to the three-day postseason tournament, which begins Thursday, Feb. 16 at either Wooster or Bishop Manogue high school.
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