by James Tate
Titans build a 15-point lead in the first half
Syracuse shot out of the gate with senior Kaden Erickson making a short jumper. The Titans’ pulled away in the first quarter after senior Brevin Hamblin scored for a 14-5 lead with 3:13 left. The Titans increased their lead when Hamblin grabbed a rebound, was fouled and made two foul shots. Then Erickson made another jump shot for a 19-5 Titans lead with 1:56 remaining in the first quarter.
Darts’ senior Colby Whicker made a three-point basket to cut the lead to 19-8 with 1:18 left in the quarter. Next, Titans’ Kane King responded with his three-pointer to move the score to 22-8. With 15 seconds left in the quarter, Whicker made a driving layup for a score of 22-10 at the end of the first period.
Second quarter Hamblin and Erickson dominate
After another three-point basket by King, Hamblin scored on a rebound put back. Then Erickson made a layup, and the lead grew to 27-12 with 4:51 left before halftime. With 4:29 on the clock, Erickson was fouled on a three-point shot attempt and made all three free throws. Davis immediately called timeout as the score was getting out of hand at 30-13.
Things didn’t start much better after the timeout as the Titans’ junior Joshua Godfrey scored. The shocked crowd shock saw a 32-13 score with 3:15 left before halftime. The next Dart possession saw Whicker make a great three-point shot, his second of the half, and made the score 32-16.
Then a Dart turnover and the lead was up to 20 points. Next, Titans’ senior Carter Semrow made a driving layup to make the score 36-16 with 1:00 before halftime. Before the half came to a close Fisher showed a glimpse of what he would do in the second half by scoring the last five points and cutting the Titan’s lead down to a 36-21 score.
Zach Fisher and Colby Whicker put on great second-half performances
Fisher didn’t waste time as he converted a layup to start the third quarter to make the score 36-23 with 7:37 on the clock. Next, Semrow and Fisher exchanged three-point baskets and the score was 39-26 Titans with 5:50 left in the third quarter.
Fisher scored 14 points and made four three-point shots in the third quarter, but Syracuse still held a 51-38 lead. Semrow’s two three-point baskets were enough to keep the Titans in control heading into the fourth quarter.
With 6:08 left in the game, the crowd erupted as Darts’ sophomore guard Coleman Atwater made a three-point shot, and the score was down to a six-point lead, 51-45. At this point, everyone could feel a special comeback was possible. Halfway through the fourth quarter, Titans’ Hamblin fouled out and the lead was down to three points with momentum all for the Darts.
The Dart’s defense stepped up in the fourth quarter and held Syracuse scoreless until the last minute of the game. With 3:30 left in the game, Darts junior guard Ike Morgan makes a three-pointer to tie the game at 51. Whicker was the leading scorer in the fourth quarter with six points and finished with 23 for the game for Davis.
With 3:00 left in the contest, Whicker made a layup to give the Darts their first lead 53-51. Semrow scored the Titan’s first points of the quarter to make the score 56-53. This score came with only 50 seconds remaining in the game. With 40 seconds left a held ball and possession to Syracuse were called. Semrow then makes a clutch three-pointer to tie the score at 56. The fourth quarter ended with a 56-56 tie. The game headed to a 4:00 overtime period.
Overtime
Davis quickly took control as Whicker hit a crown-roaring three-pointer to give the Darts a 59-56 lead. Darts senior forward Kaden Eggett scored on a layup after the Titans’ missed a shot. Then the Darts stayed in control 61-56 with 3:05 left in the extra period. The last minute saw multiple fouls, and the Darts’ Fisher and Whicker made enough free throws to close out the Titans. The game was complete, and a spectacular 20-point comeback 69-67 win for the Darts.
Outstanding performances
The Titans Erickson finished with a team-high 19 points. Semrow scored 16 and King finished with 13 points.
Davis’ Fisher led all scorers with 25 points and Whicker was next in scoring 23 in the contest. Team defense in the second half led by Atwater, Eggett, and Morgan was key in the victory.
photo courtesy of Kim McFadden IG: @kmacphotographyy