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Good’s clutch foul shot nets South Range a key victory
By Jim Flick
NEW MIDDLETOWN
A foul shot that kissed the net with five seconds remaining gave the South Range High boys basketball team a 55-54 win on Friday over arch-rival Springfield Local.
South Range senior Dan Good was fouled as he drove the basket with the score tied 54-54.
Good stepped to the charity stripe and sank the first shot to give the Raiders the lead.
After he missed the second shot, Springfield pulled down the rebound, but was able to launch only a wild desperation shot at the buzzer that flew wide of the hoop.
“I thought we came out with a lot of passion in the third quarter,” South Range coach Dave Purins said. “I can’t be more proud of the way our guys performed.”
The game was close most of the contest, with South Range (8-3, 6-2 Inter Tri-County League Tier One) leading 13-12 after the first quarter and 24-23 at halftime.
The Raiders opened a gap when they out-scored the Tigers 19-13 in the third quarter. After senior Brandon Pluchinsky sank a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter, South Range led by 10 points, 46-36.
The Tigers (10-2, 7-1) then turned the tables, outscoring the Raiders 18-9 for the rest of the game.
Nick Russell, a senior, scored a field goal to tie the score 50-50 with 1:50 remaining. The rivals then traded baskets, setting the stage for Good’s final shot.
“Our defense answered, and we did a great job on the board,” Purins said. “That was one of our focuses coming in, not giving them second chances.”
The win evened the season series. In their first meeting in December, Springfield Local won, 68-66. The visiting team won both games.
Good came off the bench to lead South Range’s attack with 15 points.
Andy Lacefield, a senior, tallied 14 points for the Raiders, while Pluchinsky added 12 points, including three 3-point shots.
Senior Ron Rogers scored a game-leading 22 points for Springfield Local, and connected on a pair of 3-point shots.
Nick Russell, a senior, contributed 17 points for the Tigers, including a pair of 3-pointers.
“When you’re coming into a hostile environment, you got to got to stick together as a team to give yourself a chance to win,” Springfield Local coach Eric Fender said, “and they did that.”
Fender said the Raiders “played hard, they out-rebounded us easily, and that’s one of the things that hurt us.
“They’re a good team, they’re playing good basketball.”