Trailing 90-87 with three seconds remaining in overtime, Trey Williams received a pass from Jason Williams and sank another 3-pointer to put the contest in a second extra period. Trey Williams’ huge treys allowed Greensboro to extend the game and go on to outlast the Cougars by a 98-94 final in double overtime.
Averett (0-11, 0-2 USA South) led Greensboro (4-8, 2-0 USA South) 78-70 with 1:56 remaining in the contest. However, six missed free throws in the final 1:46 allowed the Pride to go on a 9-2 run and draw to within 80-79 with 30 seconds showing on the game clock.
After Greensboro failed to convert, Averett’s Sterling Williams was sent to the line with four seconds remaining and a one point Cougar lead. Sterling Williams knocked down both free throws for an 82-79 Averett lead. However, Trey Williams’ heroics followed on the next possession to send the game to an extra period.
In the first overtime, Averett fell behind 87-84 after a pair of Marcellus Morgan free throws. Sterling Williams hit a left handed lay-up in the lane with 1:23 remaining and Jermaine Coston found Jerrod Harris with 18 seconds left to reclaim an Averett lead at 88-87. A missed Morgan jumper, followed by his fifth foul put Matthew Jordan on the line with seven seconds remaining.
Jordan hit both attempts for a 90-87 Cougar lead, but Trey Williams wowed the crowd with another buzzer beater from behind the arc to force a second OT. Averett managed only four points in the second OT, while Trey Williams scored six of the Pride’s eight points in the session to lift his team to victory.
Trey Williams scored 23 points, passed out four assists, and made four steals for the Pride. Morgan scored a game-high 30 points, including five 3-pointers. Jason Williams scored 16, five 3-pointers and a free throw, while Dshmal Schoetz netted 12 points and grabbed 10 boards.
Harris led five double figure Cougar scorers with 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting. He also corralled 10 rebounds. Sterling Williams added 19 points and Coston followed with 17. Jordan was a perfect 8-for-8 from the line, as he scored 13. Billy Gardner contributed with 12 points and six rebounds.
After hitting 12-of-12 free throws in the first half, Averett struggled from the line in the second stanza. The Cougars were only 16-for-27 in the second half, for 59-percent from the charity stripe. The grudge-match featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes.
Averett returns to action on Tuesday with a 5:30 p.m. match-up on the road at Methodist.
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