Lampley’s free throws send WSCC men’s basketball to double OT victory; Softball sweeps No. 14 Chattanooga State
HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Demarkus Lampley’s knocked down a pair of free throws with 5.7 seconds remaining in double overtime, and Wallace State’s men’s basketball team gutted out a thrilling 71-69 conference victory over Bevill State at Tom Drake Coliseum on Thursday night.
Wallace State scored the final three points in double overtime, getting a free throw from Kevin Wharton-Price with 1:42 to go and Lampley’s deciding shots from the charity stripe to break the 69-all tie.
On Wallace State’s final possession, Lampley drove through the lane and was fouled. After converting the free throws, Bevill State was unable to get off a high percentage shot as time expired.
Lampley finished with 22 points behind four 3-pointers, Mike Johnson added 17 points and Jonathan Andre scored six of his 14 points in the overtime periods as the Lions (15-14, 3-10 Alabama Community College Conference) swept Bevill State on the season.
“We remembered those days in preseason practice where we ran the extra sprints, did the extra conditioning and we hated it. Our guys got a glimpse of why it was important, and I think that helped us a bit in the second overtime. We seemed a little fresher,” said Wallace State coach John Meeks. “We talk about every game as a one-game championship and you prepare to win a championship night in and night out. I was proud of our effort.”
The game was tied at 58-58 at the end of regulation and at 66-all at the end of the first overtime. In the extra periods, Wallace State built as much as a four-point lead, while Bevill State claimed its first lead of the game in the first OT.
Wallace State nearly won it in regulation after Johnson drained a 3-pointer from the left corner with 12.1 seconds remaining for a 58-55 edge.
Bevill State’s Wanya King answered with a 3 of his own on the Bears’ ensuing possession, however, sending the game to overtime.
The Lions jumped out to a 62-58 advantage in the first overtime, but the Bears answered with a 6-0 run and took their first lead of the game, at 64-62, on a Dalon Evans jumper with less than two minutes to go. Wharton-Price and Andre scored on consecutive possessions for the Lions, reclaiming a 66-64 edge with 42 seconds remaining, but Bevill State’s Evans closed the period with a jumper, sending it to another OT.
Wallace State yielded only three points to Bevill State in the decisive period.
The Lions led 30-26 at halftime and sustained as much as an 11-point cushion in regulation.
For Johnson, 15 of his 17 points came from behind the 3-point arc.
“Mike just keeps performing and continues to get better. He can step up and make a big shot, especially when the opponent is focusing on Demarkus Lampley. Mike also normally guards the other team’s best player,” said Meeks. “I’ve seen growth from all of our players. We have a team full of freshmen. We’re the youngest team in the league by far, and they’ve started to find their strides lately. We’ve also battled through some tough circumstances with health, and I’m proud about how we’ve responded.”
For Bevill State, King scored a game-high 24 points and Evans had 22.
Both Wallace State basketball teams host Snead State on Monday night beginning at 5:30 p.m. It’s the last regular season game for both teams and sophomore night.
Wallace State softball sweeps No. 14 Chattanooga State.
Wallace State’s softball team prevailed in a pitcher’s duel and slugfest on Thursday, propelling the Lions to a sweep over 14th-ranked Chattanooga State in their first home doubleheader of the season at Bobby McCracken Stadium.
Wallace State pitcher Meagan Schwieterman tossed a one-hit shutout in Thursday’s 1-0 opener, and the Lions (8-5) squeaked out a 9-7 in the finale.
Schwieterman, a freshman from Guntersville, struck out seven Chattanooga hitters, and moved to 4-1 on the mound.
Wallace State, the three-time defending ACCC champion, rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the second game.
“Meagan Schwieterman had a fantastic outing in the circle. A one-hitter is impressive against anyone, but against the No. 14 team in the country is even more impressive. Our pitching seems to be growing up,” said Wallace State coach A.J. Daughtery. “Our whole team has shown signs of maturing over the last week. With 16 new faces, we knew we would have some challenges as we began our season. We still have plenty of room for growth, but we understand the season is a marathon and not a sprint.”
Sophomore Jodie Farnetti registered the lone RBI in Thursday’s opener, driving in Sidney Edwards.
In the second game, Wallace State plated four runs in the third, notching the game at 4-4.
Kaley Anthony collected her first collegiate RBI for the first run, Charlee West added a two-run single and Farnetti capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
The Lions added three more runs in the fifth on a Megan Hill two-run triple and a sac fly by West.
Chattanooga State tied the game at 7-7 with a pair of runs in the fifth inning, but Wallace State answered right back. Edwards drove in the eventual game-winner with an RBI groundout and Taylor Goodpastor added an insurance run with a sac fly.
Wallace State is on the road again this weekend, playing in the Rush Invitational in Meridian, Miss. Thursday’s doubleheader began a 13-game stretch over a 7-day span for Wallace State.
“We’ll learn a lot about our team over this stretch. We’re looking forward to it,” Daugherty said.
______________________________
Russell Moore
Wallace State Community College
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