The Times-Journal

After a disappointing loss to Dallas County on Tuesday night, the Keith High School boy’s basketball team bounced back with an overtime win over the Selma High School Saints on Friday night, 57-54.

“What a game!

Tonight we played Bear basketball. We executed our game plan and played as a team,” said Keith Coach Joseph Pettway. “We have a guard dominated team with Jonathan McGuire, Alvin Jones, and Derrick James. They did a good job tonight.

“Coach Maxey is a legend, a class act. Anytime you can play a legend and come out on top it’s a good thing,” Pettway said.

Keith jumped out to an early lead over the Saints in the first period. With just over two minutes left in the first, the Saints found themselves down six points.

Trenton Woods went to the free throw line to put the Saints up by one with 2:46 left in the second.

At the half the Saints were up 22-19.

The Bears and Saints traded baskets throughout the third, tossing the lead back and forth.

At the end of the third the Bears were still down by three, 35-38.

It was a close game throughout the second half, neither team got up on the other more than four points.

McGuire went to the line to tie the game at forty-six with 25.0 left in the game. The Saints turned the ball over and the Bears got the ball back with just seconds left on the clock. Jones put up what would have been the game winning shot for Keith at the buzzer.

He missed, and they went into overtime.

“It was a typical Selma High vs. Keith ball game. It was our first game and in your first game you make mistakes. Unfortunately, we made crucial mistakes,” said Saints Coach Willie Maxey.

The Saints were leading 54-50 in overtime when Gerald Matthews hit a big three to bring the Bears within one with 5.9 left on the clock.

The biggest mistake of the night for the Saints came when one of their players called a timeout when they had none remaining.

Jones went to the line and hit 1 of 2 free throws and Keith was tied with Selma at 54.

A foul committed by the Saints put Terrance Collins at the line where he hit both to seal the deal for Keith.

“Calling the timeout when we had none was a critical mistake. We’re gonna suck our guts up and go back to work,” Maxey said.

Cameron Turner led the Saints with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Deundra Benjamin followed with 13 points and 9 rebounds. The Saints will face Lanier on Nov. 28.

The Bears were led by Alvin Jones who had 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. Jonathon McGuire followed with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. Gerald Matthews added 12 points and 5 rebounds.

“Tonight we played hungry.

If we bring the same intensity we played with tonight to every game, we will win every game,” Pettway said.

The Bears will face Linden on the road on Tuesday.