Campbell works overtime to beat YCS

February 22, 2014 at 12:06a.m.

By JOHN BASSSETTI

YOUNGSTOWN

The pre-game prayer at the Youngstown Christian gym is a wonderful way to start a game, but Campbell Memorial needed an extra punch of prayer in the closing minutes to defeat the home court Eagles, 71-62, in overtime Friday night.

Michael Williams had 18 points and 15 rebounds overall, Aaron Jackson had a big 3-pointer in overtime and Daron Clinkscale had nerves of steel at the foul line in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Heading into postseason with such a victory — albeit over a Division IV team — has the Red Devils pumped.

“It’s a big boost,” said coach Mike Szenborn, whose team awaits the winner of the East Palestine-Jackson-Milton game at home on Feb. 28.

“On the scale of excitement on a scale of 1-to-10 it was probably a 20,” Szenborn said just minutes after his Red Devils (14-7) came back from a 51-44 deficit with 3:30 remaining in regulation.

“It’ll teach our kids a couple lessons, such as never quit and keep playing until the end,” Szenborn said. “I don’t think we defended well the first four quarters, but then we got after it toward the end of the fourth quarter and in overtime. I told our kids that defense wins championships, so we were able to do that late in the game and get those big stops and capitalize.”

Clinkscale made two free throws to tie the game at 57 with 2.6 seconds remaining and force overtime.

Of the moment, Szenborn said: “Daron made two huge free throws, I can’t put any other description on that,” the Campbell coach said of Clinkscale’s calm with a thunderous crowd trying to distract the senior. “He stepped up to the line and knocked down two free throws with 2.6 seconds left to tie it and that gave us the momentum going forward and we were able to capitalize.”

In the four-minute overtime, Shawn Staples put Youngstown Christian up, then Williams tied it at 59, then Williams made a steal and layup to give Campbell a 61-59 edge with 2:35 remaining. The 6-2 junior then picked off a deflected shot, was fouled and made the first of two attempts. Clinkscale got the miss and Williams converted a basket for a 64-59 led. Youngstown Christian’s Darien Townsend made one of two foul shots and Ryan Houston rebounded a teammate’s missed shot to bring YCS within 64-62.

That’s when Jackson’s 3-pointer with 32.7 seconds left, Stephan Elash’s two free throws and a steal and dunk by Williams shut the door on the Eagles (5-17).

Williams had a player’s perspective on the final minutes, whe the Red Devils dug deep: “It was hard, but we had to keep pushing and pushing because we knew we couldn’t give up.”

The game-ending dunk was Williams’ first of the season.

Clinkscale, who finished with 10 points, said free throws are practiced routinely.

“We take them seriously and, tonight, it paid off,” said the senior.

Of the knee-buckling seconds at the free throw line — with the regulation game on the line — Clinkscale said he tried to stay calm.

“I didn’t want to get too nervous and miss it, so I kept my head and made them.”

Townsend had a game-high 22 points for Youngstown Christian.