By: Zack Adams
3/4/18
GREENVILLE -- Heritage (25-4) is going to the State Championship game for the first time in their school's history following a 61-55 overtime victory over South Central (27-1). For the second straight season, the South Central Falcons have made it all the way to the 4A Regional Final just to be outed by a Wake County foe. Last season, Leesville Road pulled off a 44-43 upset at Fayetteville State that sent the Pride to a State Championship and this year, the Falcons fell by six in overtime to Heritage.
East Carolina commit Jayden Gardner paced Heritage with a game-high 21 points while also hauling in eight rebounds. Gardner fouled out with 52 seconds to play in regulation and that caused many Husky fans to gasp and possibly have flashbacks to a season ago. Last year, Heritage fell in the third round of the State Playoffs at home to Fayetteville Seventy-First by one, 63-62. Gardner fouled out in that game as well and of course, the Huskies were outed in round three. Saturday, it was the fifth round and as soon as the future East Carolina Pirate went to the bench with his fifth personal foul, Heritage battled for 4:52 to grit out a victory.
Jarren McAllister started slow as he only had five points at halftime but exploded for 12 in the second half and overtime to finish with 17. The Virginia Tech commit also totaled six rebounds and three assists. The biggest "eye opener" on the box score was the play of Redford "Red" Dunton and Dyson Pender. Thursday against Broughton in the fourth round, the two combined for 23 points. Saturday, they combined for 15 points (Dunton had eight, Pender had seven) and went a combined 6/8 from the foul line.
Tre Waller did not score in double figures, or pad any double digit stats for that matter. But what Waller did do was hit probably the biggest three of the Huskies' season. Waller popped a three from the win with 1:08 to play in the overtime session that sealed the victory and a trip to next Saturday's 4A State Championship game at UNC-CH. Waller finished the game with five points and six rebounds. Before Waller's three went down in overtime, Heritage was 0/9 from beyond the arc and normally they knock down at least four threes a game.
For South Central, it was an offensive struggle. The Falcons average 77 points per game on average for the season and Saturday, Heritage held them to just 55 points in 36 minutes. Heritage really slowed down the traditional "up tempo" offense we normally see from Chris Cherry and his team. South Central only shot 34.4% (21/61) from the field, which is nearly 12% under their season average of 46%.
Junior Shykeim Phillips led South Central with 17 points on 7/17 shooting from the field. Day'Ron Sharpe finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks in the game. Sharpe was in foul trouble most of the game as he did sit over four minutes in the second quarter after picking up his second personal early on in that quarter.
Jahzeer Baker really started the game off hot for South Central as well. The junior guard tallied off nine points in the first half, including a personal 6-0 run that led to a Husky timeout. Baker did foul out early on in the fourth as he committed a couple of "frustration fouls" as he struggled to find his rhythm in the second half.
One positive note for South Central is a three-peat (to the Regional Final) could very well happen. Four of the five Falcon starters are underclassmen and will be returning next season. With two straight heartbreaking defeats in the East Regional Final, you know those four guys will be hungry to step back on the hardwood next November and once against chase an opportunity to play for a State Championship.
Next up for Heritage, a date with Independence next Saturday (Mar. 11) at the Dean E. Smith Center (7:30). The Patriots throttled Rocky River in the 4A West Regional Final, 72-45. Independence will come into next Saturday's State Championship game at a 30-1 mark and ranked #3 in the "Hoop State" by MaxPreps.
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