By By BRIAN HAINES
Sports Writer
WILLIAMSTON — Everything Katie Paschal has brought to the table over the last four years was put on display in one neat package on Thursday as the Tigers’ star guard showed why she will be forever a part of Wiliamston lore in the team’s 69-67 win over Perquimans.
Paschal rallied her team from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, survived a brutally hard foul late in the game which resulted in a stoppage of play and bruises on her mouth an right eye, never missed a minute of play and converted the game-winning layup as the buzzer sounded.
The toughness, the clutch play on both ends of the court and the scoring ability, a game-high 37 points, all paved way for one spectacular Senior Night victory.
After taking a 20-16 lead in the first quarter, Perquimans rallied to out-score Williamston 23-12 in the second giving the Pirates a 37-32 lead at halftime.
Perquimans star center Quinyotta Pettaway did her best to hand the Tigers (18-0, 11-0 Four Rivers) their first loss of the year by dominating in the paint and tallying 36 points. The Pirates led a majority of the game, but Wiliamston took a 65-64 lead after a Cassie Harrell blocked shot led to a Paschal layup with two minutes left in the game.
The Pirates were able to tie the game at 67 after Breann Fields nailed a jumper with five second left on the clock.
Wiliamston coach Hughs Barber opted to not call a timeout citing that his team prospers on the run, and the move paid off as the Tigers inbounded the ball the to Paschal, who raced down the court and scored the game-winning layup as time expired.
“I’ve heard it said that big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games and that’s what she did tonight,” Barber said. “She stepped up, we had a lot of girls step up tonight.”
Paschal, who will be playing for East Carolina next season, was honored at halftime of the boys game for being nominated for a chance to make the McDonald’s High School All-American Team, and said that she new she had to make a play late in the game.
“We were down the whole game, I had four fouls and everybody was so tired, I just had to make a shot,” Paschal said. “(On the inbounds) I was just like ‘give me the ball, give me the ball’ because I didn’t want it to go into overtime. I wasn’t even really thinking, I just knew I had to get a basket and that they wouldn’t foul me.”
Another girl who stepped up was freshman Jo’neka Brown who nailed a key three-pointer in the fourth quarter and did a nice job of the defensive end.
Brown leads Tigers over Pirates
Down 57-54 in the fourth quarter, Williamston’s K.J. Brown nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to keep the Tigers alive and send the game into overtime, where the point guard scored six points to lead the Tigers to a 71-67 win over Four Rivers Conference leaders Perquimans on Thursday.
Brown scored a team-high 20 points, with 15 of the coming after the third quarter.
The Tigers (11-7, 7-4) at one point trailed 45-39 in the fourth quarter, but kept their cool and fought back to tie the game.
“We are extremely pleased, these kids maintained their composure,” Tigers coach Bobby Williams said. “A lot of things went against us late but the kids stayed under control. … We have been talking all along that we think we belong with the Perquimans’es and the Camdens and tonight I think we took a step towards that.”
The Tigers will be back in action tonight when they play at Northside.
Girls game
Perquimans — 16 23 15 15 — 67
Williamston — 20 12 14 23 — 69
Pirates (67)
Quinyotta Pettaway 36, Fields 5, Linton 3, Lyons 7, Norman 2, Shaniava Gray 13, Wood 2.
Tigers (69)
Katie Paschal 37, Davis 1, Wynn 4, Morris 7, Norfleet 4, Harrell 4, Jones 2, Brown 6, McCray 2.
Boys game
Perquimans 13 11 10 23 1o — 67
Williamston 15 10 11 21 14 — 71
Pirates (67)
Winslow 9, Spellman 8, Bryan White 10, Carlin Elliot 22, Felton 4, Privott 4.
Tigers (71)
Kiyon Coffield 14, Lanier 9, Bond 8, James 2, Rodgers 4, K.J. Brown 20, Anderson 1, McGhee 5.