By By BRIAN HAINES, Brian@wdnweb.com, Sports Writer
Beth Batchelor made her last home basketball game a memorable one as she poured in a game-high 32 points to lead Washington to a 63-49 Senior Night victory over West Carteret on Friday, while the Pam Pack boys lost to the Patriots in a heartbreaker, 72-71.
In the girls matchup, Washington (9-12, 5-9) came out and played some of its best basketball of the year against the Patriots, who at 17-5 (10-4) finished the season in second place in the Coastal Conference.
The Pam Pack (9-12, 5-9), who finished the regular season in sixth place, clamped down on the Patriots’ shooters, while piecing together an efficient attack that was led by Batchelor, along with point guard Rakira Ward who scored 10 points and senior Staneshia Griffin who tallied seven points.
Washington took a 43-32 lead into the fourth quarter, but point guard Vanity Jones helped the Patriots mount a comeback that threatened to spoil the Pam Pack’s Senior Night.
With 3:46 left in the game, Jones drove to the hoop for a layup and drew a foul. After completing the three-point play, West Carteret had cut Washington’s lead to 51-47. However, Washington answered with a 12-2 run to keep the upset intact.
“We came out and executed well offensively and played really good defense,” Washington coach Allison Jones said. “Thankfully we were hitting some shots in the beginning. West Carteret is a really good team and they are well coached so we knew they would make a run eventually, and they did.”
The Pam Pack have lost a few players since the beginning of the season, but called up Sheema Blount and Justyce McCkissick from the Coastal Conference winning JV team to help add depth to the roster.
“It helped having a few fresh legs come off the bench,” Jones said. “We moved a couple of girls up this week and it helped in the rotation.”
The added girls did a nice job, but at the end of the day it was the senior Batchelor, who made 18 of her 19 free throw attempts, who paved the way for the Pam Pack win.“It’s Senior Night and Beth Batchelor, like she has done all year, has been our leader on the floor along with Staneshia Griffin,” Jones said. “They both anchor the team and I thought they played well and smart.”
The Pam Pack will begin the Coastal Conference tournament on Monday on the road against either Havelock or West Craven.
West Carteret 72, Washington 71
The Pam Pack boys team played three quarters and six minutes and 30 seconds of solid basketball, but faltered in the final 1:30 to lose 72-71 to West Carteret. Washington held a lead at the end of every quarter except the last one as the Patriots mounted a 13-4 rally in the final 1:30 to overtake the Pack on Washington’s Senior Night.
Behind the hot shooting of Alex Godette (26 points), John Papillion (20) and Dontarius Collins (12) the Patriots were able to tie the Pam Pack at 59 midway through the fourth quarter.
Washington appeared to fight off the Patriots (10-11, 7-6) as it pieced together an 8-0 run that left the score at 67-59 after a Ridge Hodges 3-pointer with 1:34 left in the game.
Hodges led the Pam Pack with 22 points, while Brandon Tripp scored 16 and Joseph Conner posted 10.
Despite the Pack run, the Patriots would not roll over. Collins caught fire from behind the arc and after his second three in less then a minute, his team trailed by a point, 69-68. West Carteret would take the lead on the ensuing inbounds play when Anthony Windley stole a Pack pass and scored a layup to take a 70-69 advantage, it would be a lead the team would not let go of.
After a Conner layup cut the Patriots lead to 72-71 with 14 seconds left, Washington fouled on the ensuing inbounds play. West Carteret missed on the first free throw attempt and the Pack raced down the court with nine seconds left on the clock.
Washington, which had one timeout left, pushed the ball up the court but did not call for a timeout until there was only 1.2 seconds showing on the scoreboard.
With one last play, Hodges inbounded the ball from halfcourt to Tripp, who was positioned at the foul line, where he was supposed to catch the ball and pass it back to Hodges for the final shot, but Tripp was well defended and not able to pass the ball.
“It was supposed to be a pass to Brandon and a quick pass back to Ridge, but I called my timeout too late,” Washington coach Steve Flowers said. “I wanted to wait for the ball to cross halfcourt, then I thought Ridge was going to take it to the hole (once he crossed halfcourt) because I knew they didn’t want to foul. Once he passed it off I called timeout.”
Flowers said if given the same situation again, aside from calling the timeout earlier, he would have called for a catch-and-shoot play from the sideline.
“Yea, I probably should have just let Brandon shoot it,” Flowers said.
In between the boys and the girls games Washington honored its six seniors, Tripp, Hodges, Conner, Josh O’Neal, Raheem Slade, Darnell Windley. Flowers said he has enjoyed coaching the senior group.
“I have been with those guys for three years, the played JV for me and know we are on varsity together,” Flowers said. “Not only are they good basketball players but they are good kids
Boys game
West Carteret 17 21 12 26 — 72
Washington 21 40 53 18 — 71
Patriots (72)
John Papillion 20, Alex Godette 26, Windley 7, Dontarius Collins 12, Ellingsworth 3, Blake 4.
Pam Pack (71)
O’Neal 3, Windley 6, Brandon Tripp 16, Joseph Conner 10, Slade 3, Ridge Hodges 22, Moore 7, Graham 4.
Girls game
West Carteret 8 7 17 17 — 49
Washington 9 13 21 20 — 63
Patriots (49)
Sewell 8, Wainwright 9, Vanity Jones 14, Penley 2, Baines 8, Dorautich 4, Mansfield 4.
Pam Pack (63)
Griffin 7, Beth Batchelor 32, Rakira Ward 10, McKissick 6, Cantrell 5.