The score was tied at 64 with three seconds to go in double overtime as Slone pulled up over an outstretched hand and drained a 3-pointer to give Minford the home win over Northwest on Thursday night 67-64.
“It is kind of like a dream,” Slone said. “As a kid you always dream of hitting the game winning shot... It was a blessing to be able to make a shot like that.”
It was not the first clutch play Slone made in the SOC II contest. In the first OT, he drew a foul with 1.7 seconds to go and needed to hit both free throws to tie the game at 60.
The 5-foot-10 junior toed the line and swished both foul shots to force another period.
“The kids kept battling each other back and forth, and nobody really wanted to go home tonight,” Minford coach Josh Shoemaker said. “(Mark) willed us to a victory. He put us on his back in the second half. He had 25 points in the second half (and overtime).”
Slone had a game-high 30 points to go with seven rebounds. Brett Taylor added 10 points and Caleb Cowgill had eight.
Cory McKnight had seven points and three blocks while Aaron Oesch had 10 rebounds and three steals.
“Brett Taylor had a real nice game, getting us back there in the third quarter,” Shoemaker said. “Caleb Cowgill had a good floor game tonight. Cory McKnight and Aaron Oesch did a real nice job rebounding and playing post defense for us.”
Minford came out strong in the first half by going 9-for-17 from the field and had a 23-20 lead at the half.
Northwest forwards Hank Leslie and Kenny Crabtree got to the rim in the second half during which they combined for 24 of the team’s 28 points. Leslie finished with 28 points, including 14 of 18 from the foul line, and 16 rebounds while Crabtree had 14 points.
“We didn’t come ready to play,” Northwest coach Rick Scarberry said. “We didn’t come out and compete. We didn’t take care of the basketball, which was obvious. We didn’t shoot the ball well.”
A crucial turnover with 37 seconds to play in the second overtime led to the game-winning shot by Slone. Northwest committed 15 turnovers to Minford’s nine.
“We made a couple little runs, but our defense was atrocious,” Scarberry said. “If you can’t guard the point, you can’t guard anything, because that’s where it starts.”
Efficient offense helped the Falcons shoot 25-for-56 from the field in the game, including 50 percent in the overtimes. Four different Falcons hit 3-pointers, none more impressive than Slone’s game-winner.
Northwest hosts Waverly tonight in another SOC II contest. Minford will go West tonight to continue league play.
ALI KEATON can be reached at akeaton@heartlandpublications.com
Northwest 10 10 16 12 12 4 — 64
Minford 8 15 16 9 12 7 — 67
Northwest —Frantz 1 0 3, Blankenship 2 0 6, D. Brown 0 1 1, Kr. Crabtree 2 0 6, Leslie 7 14 28, Ke. Crabtree 6 2 14, Hall 1 4 6. Totals 19 21 64.
Minford — Taylor 4 0 10, McKnight 3 1 7, Butcher 2 0 4, Oesch 2 0 5, Partlow 1 0 3, Slone 11 5 30, Cowgill 2 2 8. Totals 25 8 67.
3-pointers — Northwest 4 (Frantz, Blankenship, Kr. Crabtree 2); Minford 9 (Taylor 2, Oesch, Partlow, Slone 3, Cowgill 2)
Records — Northwest 7-8; South Webster 5-14 (2-9)
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