By By Marty Stamper/staff writer
Feb. 20, 2002
MORTON West Lauderdale outscored Morton 9-6 in the second overtime period to take a 69-66 win over the Panthers in the first round of the Class 3A South State Tournament Tuesday night.
The contest was marred after its conclusion when Morton fans threw at least two soft drink cans at the West Lauderdale team as it headed to the visitors dressing room. At least one of the cans was thrown back at the Morton fans and a West Lauderdale player had to be restrained by Knight coach Duran Clark from going into the stands. Morton security escorted the Knights to their bus.
The Knights' win advances them to the Class 3A South State Final Four which begins Friday night at Leakesville. The Knights will play Greene County in the first round with Heidelberg meeting Jefferson County in the other semifinal.
Clark was elated with the win, but wished he could share it with somebody no longer with us.
Hull, who led the Knights to their last appearance in the state tournament in 1994, died this past October. He would have been proud of the way Clark's team battled the tough Morton team to get to within one more win of a trip to the state tournament.
No more than eight points separated the Knights and the Panthers throughout the Knight. Morton led 17-14 at the end of the first quarter and took a 28-22 lead into halftime behind 13 points from Elijah McDonald. Calvin Moore had 10 first half points for West, 24-11.
Morton, which finished 23-5, got the first points of the second half on a basket by McDonald to take the game's biggest lead at 30-22.
A basket by Boo Ramsey off a steal by Karlos Lewis and a free-throw line jumper by Moore tied the game at 36-36 with 1:55 to go in the third period.
The fourth quarter saw six lead changes and two ties. The second tie came with just under 30 seconds showing when Ramsey's basket caused a 52-52 stalemate and led to the first overtime.
Both teams scored eight points in the first overtime period. The extra period produced three more ties before West took a 59-57 lead when Ramsey picked John Harris' pocket and raced three-quarters court for a layup with 25 seconds showing.
Andre Adams added a free throw with 12.3 seconds left for a 60-57 lead.
It took Morton only six seconds to force yet another tie when McDonald buried a 3-pointer from the left baseline.
In the second overtime, the teams were tied three more times before Lewis completed a three-point play for a 67-66 lead with 42.1 seconds showing.
Morton's Andrew Lewis dribbled the ball off his foot, leading to a dunk by Moore and a 69-66 lead with 20 seconds to go.
Morton misfired on its last 3-point try and Adams cradled the rebound with a second left for the win.
The Knights overcame a 13-of-25 showing at the free throw line to take the victory. At one point in the first overtime West was just 9-of-21 at the charity stripe before going 4-for-4 over the final 4:12.
The Knights got 24 points from Moore, 15 each from Ramsey and Karlos Lewis, 10 from Chuck Brewer, and five from Adams.
Morton was led by McDonald, who quarterbacks the Panther football team, with a game-high 32 points. Andrew Lewis scored 16 and Ralph Peterson had 13. The Panthers were 10-of-12 at the free throw line with McDonald making seven of his eight chances.