A team with less grit and determination would have never been able to pull it off.  No timeouts, eight seconds left, and down by five points is about as bleak as the situation can get.  Especially when your opponent can let the clock run out without inbounding the ball even if you score. But McKinley, who refused to quit before every last second ticked off the clock, gave meaning to the old adage…it's not over till it's over.

 

In a wild affair, McKinley won its second overtime game of the season against Riverside, 88-85.  The Macks never lead in the fourth quarter, trailed by as many as eight, and faced a five-point deficit as Dennis James took possesion of the ball in the waning moments.

 

James stroked a 3-pointer for the Macks as the last seconds ticked off the clock and despite its best efforts to comeback, all McKinley could do is hope Riverside threw an inbound pass before the buzzer sounded to have a chance…and then it happened.  Dajuan Rutlegde made the kind of play that epitomizes his role as a senior leader for McKinley.  The lightning quick guard who makes a living off of converting steals into layups, did exactly that for the Macks, down by two with two seconds left.   Rutledge stole the ball and scored as the buzzer sounded, sending the McKinley fans into a complete and utter frenzy. 

 

The place was so loud for so long after the game-tying basket, that referee Steve Allen stood at the scorer's table waiting to give overtime instructions and said "I'll wait, I'm not going to try talking over this noise".

 

When the game finally went to the extra session, the Macks had all the momentum in their favor and the loudest fan-for-fan crowd in WNY behind them.  The same last second heros of regulation,  made the plays in OT to help seal the victory.  James sored five points and Rutledge made a key steal and assisted the final basket of the game to secure the win.

 

Even before all the last second drama, it was one of the better games I've watched this season.  I heard one fan call it the best high school basketball game he had ever seen. 

 

Rutledge scored eight of his 18 points in the first quarter, dished a smooth assist to James after a steal, and scored the last basket of the quarter off another steal.  McKinley held an 18-15 lead after one quarter.

 

Riverside used a 9-0 run early in the second quarter and a 12-2 run to close the half, to take a 38-29 lead at the break.  Justice Feggans scored eight of his team-high 20 points in the quarter.

 

The Macks used their own 9-0 run in the third quarter, sparked by a James 3-pointer, to claw their way back into the game and even things up, 53-53 heading into the fourth quarter.  Riverside made 15 of 23 attempts from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, but missed its last two attempts, which gave life to the stunning McKinley comeback.

 

James finished with a game-high 22 points and John Black scored 19 points for the Macks.

 

Deon Artis scored 19 points for Riverside, while Gilbert Herrera added 17 for the Frontiers.

 

-centercourt