Scott storms back to topple Southview

Bulldogs overcome 11-point deficit

Scott’s Malik Brooks, right, and Southview’s JJ Pinckney fight for a loose ball. Brooks scored 18 points off the bench to help the Bulldogs overcome a big hole.

THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT
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Scott’s Malik Brooks slips past Southview’s Matt Morrison. Harris led his team with 21 points.

Scott's been a slow-starting team in games for much of the season.

Scott’s Malik Brooks, right, and Southview’s JJ Pinckney fight for a loose ball. Brooks scored 18 points off the bench to help the Bulldogs overcome a big hole.

So, trailing at Southview by as many as 11 points in the first half Saturday night wasn't cause for panic.

It called for action.

"We responded in the second half," Scott boys basketball coach Chris Dames said after the Bulldogs pulled out a 75-67 overtime victory.

RELATED GALLERY: Click here to view photos from the game.

Scott, which won a triple-overtime thriller earlier this season, leaned on Chris Harris and Chris Darrington, who combined for 39 points.

Harris led the way with 21 points and Darrington had 18 points, including a breakaway dunk just before the final second ticked off the clock in overtime.

Malik Brooks came off the bench to provide the Bulldogs (7-4) with 18 points, including 11 after halftime.

"Coach Chris [Dames] always tells us when we go in for overtime we've been there before, so just keep our composure and keep playing hard," Darrington said.

The Bulldogs displayed plenty of composure throughout the night, even when they found themselves looking at a double-digit deficit during the first half. They handled the adversity in a calm manner.

Scott made 16 of 18 foul shots for the game, including an 8-for-10 showing from the foul line in overtime. Southview, which owned a 35-24 lead at halftime, converted only 14 of 28 free throws.

"I don't know what their free-throw percentage was, but ours was 50 percent," Southview coach Bruce Smith said. "You don't want to overanalyze, but they're a good team. They had two guards combine for 39 points, and they're legit, and we knew that.

"It was a very well-played game, and we had some kids play great basketball. Let's not overanalyze it. They're just a little better than we are."

Scott’s Chris Darrington applies pressure against Southview’s Grant Wooddall. Darrington scored 18 points as the Bulldogs improved to 7-4 on the season. Wooddall had 10 for the Cougars.

Jeremiah Roberts scored a team-high 15 points for Southview (7-5), but he struggled from the foul line. He made only 7 of 15 free throws.

Grant Wooddall, Justin Schaffer, and J.J. Pinckney scored 10 points each for the Cougars.

Southview, which had dropped two straight games, was looking to turn things around playing on its home court in a nonleague meeting with Scott.

The Bulldogs, coming off a huge City League win at Rogers on Friday, were looking to continue their winning ways.

Dames thought Brooks' play off the bench provided the lift they needed, particularly after losing starting guard Larry Brooks in the first half with a head injury. Brooks and Southview's Nate Hall collided head-first chasing down a loose ball with just over five minutes left in the second quarter. Neither returned to the court in the second half.

"He always plays with energy and went in there and responded," Dames said of Brooks.

The Cougars made it clear from the beginning they were looking to attack the Bulldogs’ defense with outside shooting from behind the 3-point arc. They knocked down four in the opening quarter to take a 17-11 lead into the second period. Schaffer swished two of the four treys by Southview in the opening quarter.

The hot shooting from long range continued for the Cougars in the second quarter to help them build their halftime lead.

The Bulldogs came out of halftime and put together a furious 17-6 run to tie the score at 41 when Harris scored on a fastbreak with 3:13 left in the third quarter.

Scott outscored Southview 23-10 during the period to take a 47-45 lead into the fourth quarter.

Contact Donald Emmons at: demmons@theblade.com, 419-724-6302 or on Twitter @DemmonsBlade.