It’s not how you start, but it’s how you finish.
Columbus North built itself a double-digit lead early in the first quarter, but Whiteland made up the deficit in the third period. The Bull Dogs had chances to come up with the win late in regulation, but came up empty. With the game in overtime, the Warriors gifted them another overtime session with miscues of their own. In the end, Whiteland built a big enough lead in double overtime to escape with a 82-79 boys basketball victory.
“We had a great start. It was a great basketball game, a real exciting game. We had a fantastic start, and we made some mistakes down the stretch, turning the ball over towards the end of regulation,” North coach Paul Ferguson said. “We fought back and went into double overtime, and unfortunately, it didn’t go our way.”
Late in the fourth quarter, the Bull Dogs (5-9) were ahead 60-57, but the Warriors (11-8) tied the game with 17.8 seconds left. Caleb Ferguson’s potential game winning shot for North was blocked, thus sending the game into overtime tied at 60-60.
In overtime, Akol Akol was fouled on the play after a made basket to give Whiteland a 70-66 lead with just under a minute left. He was then assessed a technical foul for taunting following the play. Akol missed his free throw, and Caleb Ferguson made his two technical free throws to cut the North deficit to 70-68. Garrett Long tied the game down on the ensuing possession at 70-70. The Warriors came up empty on the offensive end to send it to a double overtime.
In the double overtime, Whiteland went on a 6-0 run to lead 78-71 with 53.2 seconds left. The Warriors missed key free throws late, but the cushion was big enough to come away with the victory.
The Bull Dogs put four guys in double figures. Long led the way with 22 points. Max Coomes finished with 17, Caleb Ferguson had 15 and Nolan Pickup added 12.
Jazz Banwait led Whiteland with a game-high 28 points, and Gavin Stubbe added 21.
With the teams in the same sectional, there is the possibly they could meet again in a few weeks.
“Whiteland is a strong sectional opponent, and they beat (sectional favorite) Franklin (on Jan. 9), and are 1-1 with them,” Paul Ferguson said. “Playing a really good game like this gives us the confidence as we head down the stretch, and there’s a lot to learn from this game.”
Whiteland 82, Columbus North 79
Whiteland;17;13;23;7;10;12;—;82
Columbus North;23;12;15;10;10;9;—;79
Whiteland (11-8): Hurt 1 0-0 2, Gillespie 1 5-5 7, Banwait 9 3-5 28, McLaughlin 3 1-2 7, Akol 4 0-1 8, Kunz 2 4-7 8, Stubbe 8 2-2 21, Randolph 0 0-0 0, Edwards 0 1-2 1. Totals: 28 16-24 82.
Columbus North (5-9): Caleb Ferguson 4 5-6 15, Nate Enneking 3 0-0 6, Austin Perry 1 0-0 3, Max Coomes 7 0-1 17, Nolan Pickup 5 2-2 12, Ben Ferguson 0 0-0 0, Drew Schiefer 2 0-0 4, Garrett Long 10 2-5 22. Totals: 32 9-14 79.
3-point goals: Whiteland 8 (Banwait 5, Stubbe 3); Columbus North 6 (Coomes 3, C. Ferguson 2, Perry).
