By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A double-overtime thriller didn’t go Watauga’s way on Jan. 7, losing to A.C. Reynolds, 94-91, in Lentz Eggers Gym.
Plagued by fouls in the overtime periods that resulted in the exits of key veteran starters Bowen Mayo, Jackson Love and Evan Burroughs, the loss overshadows clutch 3-pointers made by Cole Lewis and a 27-point night by Cade Keller.
With the Pioneers trailing as the clock ticked down to the end of regulation play, Lewis nailed a three-pointer to knot the score at 71-71 just before the buzzer. In overtime, he dropped in two more at critical junctures to keep the Pioneers close and force the second overtime period.
Watauga opened the contest seeming to have the upper hand, going into intermission with a 31-27 lead. The Rockets made some halftime adjustments that led to a 23-13 performance in the third quarter to go into the final stanza with a 50-44 advantage. Including a big 3-pointer by Cole Lewis to beat the buzzer in regulation, the Pioneers battled back to tie it at 71-71, a deadlock the two Western North Carolina rivals carried to an 84-84 knot to prompt a second overtime. Unfortunately for Watauga, losing three players to fouling out in overtime was a dealbreaker.
Now the Pioneers start the “real” season with a first Northwestern Conference game on the road at Freedom, in Morganton, on Jan. 9. Sporting an 8-2 record for a challenging non-conference schedule in which several players were unavailable due to Watauga’s state championship run in football, the Pioneers will face one of their fiercest conference rivals in the Patriots, who recorded a 9-3 record in non-conference play. A C Reynolds and West Caldwell were the only common opponents. Freedom defeated both, surviving a 69-65 nailbiter vs. A C Reynolds and post a 72-60 win over the Warriors of West Caldwell.
Tipoff for the Pioneers @ Patriots tilt will be approximately 8 p.m., following the women’s varsity game.
SELECTED WATAUGA INDIVIDUAL STATS VS. A.C. REYNOLDS
- Bowen Mayo: 5 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
- Kyle Williams: 6 points, 2 steals
- Cole Lewis: 9 points, 2 rebounds
- Jackson Love: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
- Cade Keller: 27 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
- Evan Burroughs: 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal
- Eli Bishop: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
- Brady Lindenmuth: 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists
