BY JON REITER
SELLERSBURG — The Rock Creek Christian Academy boys’ basketball squad squandered an eight-point lead with less than three minutes left in regulation and fell to upset-minded Christian Academy of Indiana Tuesday night in overtime, 53-50.
Warrior forward Cody Bachman stole the Rock Creek inbounds pass with 2.7 seconds left fittingly to seal the win. Bachman, a freshman, finished with 22 points and made several crucial plays throughout the game, including a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer to give visiting Christian Academy a 15-10 lead.
“Cody has grown for us and has accepted challenge after challenge,” Christian Academy (2-14) coach Josh Hutchinson said. “He wants to be coached and he’s gotten better because he does anything he’s asked to do. The sky is the limit for him.”
The first quarter featured five lead changes, and the Lions (8-7) led 10-9 following a hook shot from 6-foot-6 center Dontale Mayes. But Bachman scored the next six points for Christian Academy, including a layup in the lane and foul shot with 24.5 seconds left and the rainbow jumper that nearly grazed the roof at the Rock Creek gymnasium at the horn.
Rock Creek battled back in the second quarter, capturing the lead at 22-21, following a Mayes jumper at the free-throw line with 3:01 left. But over the final two minutes of the half, Miller McCorkle converted one of two free-throw attempts, Bachman tipped in a miss and Drew Mattingly nailed a 3-pointer to give the Warriors a 27-22 lead at the half.
Mayes dominated late in the third quarter into the fourth for Rock Creek, scoring 11 of his team-high 22 points over a 4:31 span that saw the Lions take a 48-40 lead with 2:47 left in the game.
But another 3-pointer by Mattingly, a layup by Chris Carruthers and short jumper and converted foul shot from Bachman, and the game was tied at 48 with about a minute left in regulation.
Both teams made turnovers inside the final minute and the Warriors couldn’t get a shot attempt off in time with their last possession in regulation.
The Lions turned the ball over five times during the overtime period, and were called for two player control fouls. One came when Mayes threw down a dunk over Mattingly that would have tied the game at 50 with just over a minute left, but he was called for a charge.
“When you’re up 48-40, you’ve got to have guards who can handle the ball and the pressure, and we didn’t,” Brown said. “We’ve got to learn how to put the game away at that point.”
Mayes and Bachman both missed a pair of free throws on opposite ends of the court inside the final minute. But Carruthers sank his two attempts for the Warriors prior to Bachman’s game-sealing steal.
“We made some big shots and some big stops on the other end,” Hutchinson said. “I’m proud of our guys.”
Rock Creek will travel South Central on Friday, while Christian Academy will host Trinity Lutheran.
CHR. ACADEMY 15 12 8 13 5—53
ROCK CREEK 10 12 13 13 2—50
Christian Academy of Indiana (2-14) — McCorkle 5, Carruthers 10, Mattingly 12, Laughlin 4, Bachman 22, Weaver 0, Burns 0.
Rock Creek Christian (8-7) — Barker 8, Austin 4, Hawn 7, Mayes 22, McGregory 2, Neptune 2, Garner 5, Ashby 0.
3-point field goals — CAI 5 (Mattingly 4, Bachman); Rock Creek 1 (Hawn).
Rebounds — CAI 23 (Bachman 7); Rock Creek 31 (Mayes 11).
Turnovers — CAI 20, Rock Creek 18.
JUNIOR VARSITY: Rock Creek 51 (11-12-12-16) — Robinson 3, Barker 5, Garner 2, Wilkinson 5, Ashby 6, Pearson 2, Malone 26, Snapp 2; CAI 33 (10-7-4-12) — Combs 4, Rodrigues 10, Hurtgen 5, Hayes 10, Martin 4.
