The Shadow
BUENA VISTA — Covington and Parry McCluer are making a habit out of playing down to the wire Pioneer District championship games.
A season ago, Cougar Kiante Barber scored the winning basket with 0.4 seconds left on the clock to beat the Blues.
Thursday, it was Parry McCluer winning this year’s title in an overtime slugfest.
The hosts hit all six of their free throws in extra time, outscoring Covington 10-4 on the way to a 45-39 victory.
The teams answered each other through the first three minutes of overtime.
Zach Claytor’s two free throws for the Blues were countered by a runner in the lane from Tijon Rice.
And a Claytor score inside was equalled by a tough hoop from Rickey Jefferson.
But the last minute was all Parry McCluer.
Josh Chapman put them on top with a lay-up and Isaac Armstrong iced the title with four free throws in the final 23 seconds.
Parry McCluer had won regular season meetings with the Cougars by a combined 45 points.
The difference Thursday was defense said CHS?coach Keith Moore.
“We ran a different defense, we put in a 1-1-3 and put ball pressure on their shooters,” Moore said.
Tijon Rice had a big night for Covington with 20 points. Jacob Roldan and Jabari Williams both had six points each and Williams pulled in a game-high seven rebounds.
Jefferson scored just four points, but both buckets were huge, including the game-tying spin shot with 11 seconds left in regulation.
“Tijon and Rickey really stepped up,” said Moore. “We’re probably playing our best basketball right now. It’s a good time to be playing better. At the end tonight we had opportunities, but the shots wouldn’t fall.”
Moore again gave credit to some late-season junior varsity call-ups.
Sammy Akers, Roldan, Logan Jefferson and Skyler Barnett all were part of a 20-2 JV season.
And all saw championship game-action on Thursday.
“Definitely our guys from JV have improved our team a whole lot,” Moore said. “That’s started in practice.”
Roldan buried a three-ball at the first-quarter buzzer that gave the Cougars a 9-8 lead.
Rice scored seven points in the third quarter as the visitors turned a 16-14 halftime hole into a 26-25 lead.
Parry McCluer scored the first seven points of the final period, but again Rice answered.
The senior had a steal and seven points in a 50-second flurry that tied the game with under two minutes left.
Brant Adams and Will Dunlap had 11 points each for the Fighting Blues (18-5) and Chapman added 10.
Parry McCluer will host Galax (7-13) in a first-round Class 1, Region C tournament game Tuesday night.
Covington (10-14) also opens at home Tuesday night, welcoming Bland County (13-7) to the Cougar Den.
The Bears are led by 6-foot-5 senior Jacob Watters, a West Virginia University baseball commit.
“They are a big team,” said Moore. “But they were up and down just like us.”
