CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Northeast boys basketball hosted Centennial on Friday for its home opener, as the Eagles looked to start out the season by capturing two consecutive victories.
Despite trailing by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, the Eagles fought back to get the game back within one score during the final minute of the contest.
Down 61-58 with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game, Jaylen Miller drove to the basket and couldn’t get a heavily-contested shot to go. Centennial came away with the rebound, forcing the Eagles to foul. The Cougars later sealed the win 65-58, as the Eagle comeback fell just short.
Even though the end result was not ideal, Northeast boys basketball coach Sam Young was happy to see his team fight hard until the clock hit zero.
“The energy level is not where we’re struggling at right now,” Young said. “There was not one play tonight where we just laid down or didn’t play hard. As bad as we played tonight, we still had a chance to win the game at the end. I take my hat off to the kids for that.”
On the final Eagle possession of the opening quarter, senior guard Ty Jackson connected on a floater to cut the Cougar lead back down to single digits.
Jackson recorded another big bucket for Northeast, banking in a shot from long distance to beat the first-half buzzer. Centennial led 33-27 at the break.
Centennial’s Dusty Williams showed his versatility throughout and hurt the Eagles from inside and out. Young discussed the difficulties number 23 presented for his group and what makes him such a special talent.
“He’s one of those guys who can put it on the floor, shoot it midrange and shoot it from deep,” Young said. “He’s just a tough matchup. He’s going to cause a lot of people trouble.”
Young was visibly upset with the officiating late in the game, as he had conversations with multiple referees by the scorer’s table. He shared where the disagreements lied between himself and the striped party.
“Officiating didn’t beat us,” Young said. “I was just trying to get calls for our guys just like any coach. I felt like there were some calls down the stretch that didn’t go our way and I disagreed with, but that did not dictate whether we win the game or not. It’s all on us.”
Even after facing a near 20-point deficit, Northeast’s crowd never wavered. The Eagles matched their fan’s intensity and ramped up their effort defensively, forcing turnovers to dwindle down the Cougar lead.
The Eagles were able to get back in the contest by knocking down an impressive 81 percent of their shots from the charity stripe. If Northeast can continue that trend as the season goes on, it should pay big dividends for Young’s group moving forward.
“We did do that,” Young said of getting to the line. “I kept thinking if we keep knocking these free throws down then we’re going to get that possession and have an opportunity to win the game. We’d get it down to two then they’d come down and score or hit free throws. We just couldn’t ever get over that hump to get that one play to try and get it tied up.”
Marcus Averhart, Jaylen Bussey and Keaton Allen tied for a team-high 10 points for the Eagles. All of Keaton’ scoring came in the second half alone.
Williams led all scorers with 27 points.
Up next, Northeast (1-1) heads to Kenwood to face the Knights in a District 10-AAA matchup.
“We just have to go back this weekend and reevaluate some things that we’re doing to get better,” Young said. “I know it’ll be a tough game. They’re really talented and got a good group over there, so just have to forget this one and move on. District play is when it really counts. We’ll have to go over there and get after it.”