ORRVILLE — In a game where both teams hit buzzer beating 3-pointers to force overtime sessions, No. 3 Bibb County outlasted No. 3 Keith 74-69 Thursday in double overtime.

Keith’s John Pettway scored a career high 45 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, and helped the Bears (19-6) rally from a 16-point fourth quarter deficit.

Bibb’s Jemejio Rhine knocked down an off-balance 3-pointer at the end of the first overtime session to tie the game 64-64 and stunned a Keith crowd ready to celebrate an incredible rally.

In double overtime, the Choctaws (16-6) took a quick lead after free throws by Pate Oakley and Will Moore and did not trail the rest of the way.

“We leave a shooter wide open [in overtime] and the kid made a great shot,” said Keith head coach Tommy Tisdale. “That was a good shot and then as we foul out in the next overtime, the ball just didn’t bounce our way. I’m tremendously proud of that effort right there from the second [quarter] to the end of the game.”

Keith trailed almost all of regulation after starting the game out lethargic.

Bibb County jumped out to an 11-5 lead after the first quarter and led by as much as nine in the second quarter.

Pettway stole the ball in the final seconds of the first half and rose for a dunk to pull the Bears within 22-17 at the break.

Alonzo Smith made two layups and Maleake Kersh hit a 3-pointer to put Bibb County up 31-17 in the third quarter. It looked like the Choctaws might pull away.

Keith responded by getting the ball to its senior leader. Pettway, who scored 41 of his points in the second half, started attacking the basket and it paid off.

He made 22 of 27 free throw attempts on the night and his aggressiveness was a key factor in Keith getting back in the game. He hit a 3-pointer to pull the Bears within 40-32, but Bibb closed the quarter on a 7-0 run and tacked on a free throw to begin the fourth quarter.

Pettway answered by scoring the next 10 points of the game, with eight of those coming at the free throw line. At that point, Keith was down 48-42.

“I had to be aggressive,” Pettway said. “The first half I sat back and kind of went through the motions and I wasn’t being aggressive at all.”

With its lead down to 51-44 after a Morris Collins layup, Bibb County started to hold the ball and drained over a minute off the clock.

With over two minutes to play, Keith chose not to foul and Dontavius Thomas eventually came up with a big steal. Thomas drove the length of the court for a layup that pulled the Bears to within 51-46.

Shortly after Thomas forced another steal and made a shot to make it 53-49.

Bibb County was called for goaltending on a Pettway shot with 30.7 seconds left, which pulled Keith within 54-51.

After a free throw by Brandon Rutladex, Pettway made a shot through contact and was fouled. He tacked on the free throw to pull Keith within 57-54.

Kersh made two free throws and Tisdale called a timeout to set up a final play. During the break, he called a last second play the Bears run every day to end practice.

“It was just like we practice it and it came out perfect,” Tisdale said.

Pettway got the ball near the 3-point line and knocked down a triple to tie the game. Bibb County quickly inbounded the ball and a foul appeared to be called on Keith as time expired, but officials waved it off.

“I can’t say enough about Pettway,” said Bibb County head coach Russ Wallace. “That kid just started taking it to the hole, got us in foul trouble, got himself to the line, made all of his free throws and we just kept fouling him.”

In the first overtime session, Pettway forced a steal and made a layup to put Keith ahead. He tacked on a free throw to make it 64-61 in favor of Keith with only 28.7 seconds left.

Oakley missed a 3-point attempt to try to answer, but Bibb County rebounded the miss. Rhine made the shot as time expired to tie the game and force a second extra session.

In the second overtime, Bibb County overcame Kersh fouling out with free throw shooting. Oakley made two free throws with 12 seconds left to put the Choctaws up five, which sealed the game.

“In the second overtime, we made our free throws,” Wallace said.

“We missed some free throws in the fourth, we missed some free throws in the first overtime that instead of extending the lead we left them in it and Pettway made his free throws.”

Keith hosts Dallas County Monday.

 

Keith 34, Bibb County 24 (girls)

Even shorthanded, the Keith girls just keep on winning.

The Bears (23-2) were without starters Shatavia Moore and Zykia Pettway Thursday night against Bibb County, but pulled out a 34-24 victory.

Harriet Winchester scored 17 points to lead the way for Keith. Jakyra Simmons also added eight points for the Bears.

Moore has a hurt ankle and Pettway was sick and sat out.

Keith head coach Cecil Williams said not having Moore and Pettway helped the Bears get ready for situations where they might have a starter foul out or get injured during the playoffs.

“It gave everybody some experience so they won’t be nervous if somebody gets hurt and we throw them out there,” Williams said.

The Bears didn’t have much of a problem Thursday.

Keith led 22-15 at halftime and hold the Choctaws to only nine points in the second half.