FLORENCE – A fourth quarter drought hurt the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets as the Greenville Red Raiders rallied in the final period to win the 5A Division II Upper State championship.
Greenville won in the final seconds 46-44 as the Jackets’ season ended at 26-3 overall.
Trailing by two, Fort Mill had two chances in the final 13 seconds missing both opportunities. The Jackets hit just 2-of-9 shots in the fourth quarter, while Greenville outscored them 12-5 in the quarter.
“The possessions before that really hurt us,” said Fort Mill head coach Myron Lowery. “We missed a layup and had a turnover. We ran what we wanted to run. We just didn’t make the plays. The last play is what people remember, but if I had a second chance I would do it again. I am really proud of this group. They were fantastic to work with. When great things end, they hurt really bad.”
Both teams came into the game with identical records and both were undefeated in their respective regions winning region titles.
“We have been steady since back in the summer,” Lowery said. “The team chemistry was amazing. The coaching staff was phenomenal. We had some ups and downs like anything else, but they had great resolve. When you put everything into it and come up short, it hurts really bad.”
Fort Mill started off slow and patient. The Jackets started the game on a 9-2 run with the help of a 3-pointer by Logan Parker. Scoring slowed some for the Jackets after the fast start. Fort Mill was able to get to the rim often in the first quarter which allowed them to take a 13-9 lead after the opening period.
Greenville started the second quarter on a 6-2 run to tie the game at 15. Fort Mill struggled some, despite still getting to the rim, but this time their shots didn’t fall as easy.
Nas Berry hit a 3-pointer for Fort Mill, but Greenville was able to match the Jackets at the other end. Parker came up with a crucial steal with about 45 second remaining in the first half and then went end-to-end to give Fort Mill a 24-20 lead, which would end up being the halftime score.
The Jackets started the second half strong with a little more attack in their game. Confident after a good first half, Fort Mill was still patient, but was able to get baskets in transition early.
The Jackets took a 30-22 lead with about five minutes left in the third quarter. As the Red Raiders adjusted Fort Mill slowed down their offense some.
Greenville stayed within striking distance, despite Berry leading Fort Mill in the quarter offensively. A Red Raiders timeout in the third quarter led to a small resurgence aided by a couple of Jackets’ turnovers to pull within four.
Wallace Campbell hit a much needed 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter giving Fort Mill a five-point lead entering the fourth quarter. The Jackets hit 6-of-9 shots from the field unofficially in the third quarter.
Although they stayed close, the Red Raiders made some mistakes early in the fourth. Fort Mill controlled the game early in the fourth going up by six midway through the final period.
Playing with a sense of urgency, Greenville made a 6-0 run tying the game at 44 with 2:51 left. The score would remain that way for much of the remainder of the game before Greenville would hit a layup with 17.2 seconds left, which would be the eventual game winner.
Parker led Fort Mill with 17 points, while both Campbell and Berry each had 11 points.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
