The Switzerland County boys varsity basketball team took a long trip Saturday to Southwestern High School near Shelbyville to bring home an exciting win, 74-73.
The Spartans scored first on a three-point shot, but Pacer Travis Webster answered that with a three-point shot for the Pacers and then followed with a basket.
The Spartans, not to be outdone, scored two more times to retake the lead 8-5. Pacer Chancey May then scored a three-point basket to tie up the score at 8-8; and the Spartans then went to the foul line to add two more points.
Ben Hickman added a basket for the Pacers — tying up the game once again, and the fans settled in for what looked to be a close and exciting game.
The Spartans then went on a run, adding two at the line; two three-point shots; and a basket to take the lead 20-10. With three minutes left in the opening period, B.J. Shelton went on a run of his own and hit three baskets in a row to close in on the Spartan lead, 20-16.
Spartan players were then sent to the freethrow line twice — hitting one of two each time to expand the lead, 22-16. T.J. Sefton and B.J. Shelton each added another basket to the Pacer score; while the Spartans added two more at the line to maintain their lead, 24-20.
B.J. Shelton then hit a three-point shot with 43-seconds left on the clock; and finished off the quarter with another basket on a pass from Travis Webster after he had stolen the ball; and the back and forth first quarter ended with Switzerland County leading by a score of 25-24.
Travis Webster was first to score for the Pacers in the second quarter, expanding the lead to three points; and the Spartans then answered back with two baskets to regain the lead by a 28-27 count.
Chancey May scored a basket for the Pacers to take back the lead; and Spartan Robbie Jones then scored two baskets and a three-point shot.
Pacer Kyle Green added a basket to stop that run, but Pacers still trailed 35-31.
With 3:00 left on the clock, Josh Snow and B.J. Shelton each took turns scoring two baskets each to retake the lead for the Pacers, 39-35. The Spartans scored one more basket before the second quarter finished; and Pacer Josh Snow was last to score in the half going to the lockers with the score at 41-37 with the Pacers in the lead.
Switzerland County had outscored the Spartans 16-13 in the quarter.
The second half started with Travis Webster scoring a basket and Ben Hickman adding one at the foul line to expand the lead to 44-37. The Spartans then added two at the line and hit a three-point basket — getting within reach of the Pacer lead 44-42.
The ball changed possession several times after that, and attempts were made on each side to score, but the pace of the game led to turnovers and defensive stops on both ends. The Spartans then added another three-point shot with 3:07 on the clock.
Pacer B.J. Shelton, with three minutes on the clock, added two baskets to take the lead for the Pacers, 48-45. The Spartans tried to get a basket, but had no success; while Mat Deaton hit a basket and B.J. Shelton finished the third quarter adding another basket ending the period with the Pacers leading 52-45.
Mat Deaton was first to score in the fourth quarter and B.J. Shelton also added a basket. The Spartans added two at the line, but still trailed, 56-47. T.J. Sefton then scored a basket for the Pacers and was fouled on the shot adding a three-point play to expand the lead to 12 points.
The Spartans then scored a basket and added two at the line before B.J. Shelton added another basket to give the Pacers a 10-point lead, 61-51. The Spartans added another basket, but Chancey May responded with a three-point shot that kept the Pacer lead in double figures.
The Spartans were then sent to the line, adding two; and a following basket found the Spartans only trailing by seven, 64-57.
Pacer Ben Hickman scored a basket for the Pacers; but the Spartans responded with a three. B.J. Shelton then scored a basket, and the Pacers had withstood a Southwestern Shelby run and were still leading 68-60.
With less than two minutes left to play the Spartans scored another basket; but Travis Webster responded back with a bucket. Switzerland County then committed a foul, and a Spartan player was sent to the line, converting both attempts and adding two more to the score.
That narrowed the Switzerland County led to just six points, 70-64 — and it would get closer and more exciting as the game entered its final minute.
With :39.4 left on the clock the Spartans hit a three-point shot to draw within three points of the Pacers, and Coach David Todd called a timeout to discuss strategy.
Travis Webster was fouled by the Spartans sending him to the charity stripe. He was successful on both attempts, pushing the lead back to five. The Spartans then responded with a basket, but Ben Hickman was hit with his last foul of the game and the Spartans added another point at the line, trailing now by only two points — 72-70.
Now :21.1-seconds remained in the contest, and a Spartan player scored again and was fouled by Pacer Zach Getz, taking him to the line. The converted freethrow added another point to the Southwestern Shelby total, giving them the lead, 73-72.
The Pacers were all trying hard to get the lead back; and called another timeout with :17.7-seconds left.
With :09.1 seconds left, Travis Webster made a pass inside to Mat Deaton, who was successful with the basket to give the Pacers the victory by one point 74-73.
Coach Todd said “The game was a complete team win. We never quit.”
Leading the Pacers was B.J. Shelton with a great game, finishing with 29 points. He also had eight rebounds.
Chancey May added eight points and had four rebounds; Mat Deaton and Josh Snow each had six points; Ben Hickman and T.J. Sefton each finished with five points; and Kyle Green chipped in two points.
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The Pacers jayvee team won in overtime against the jayvee Spartans with a score of 45-34. In a last second shot the Spartans had scored a three-pointer to tie the score 31-31; sending it into overtime.
The jayvee Pacers came back in overtime strong with Aaron Moore scoring two baskets and the rest of the points being added at the foul line to take the win. The Pacers held the Spartans to only one three-pointer in the three minutes of overtime outscoring them 14-3.
Aaron Moore had a double-double scoring 10 points and had 11 rebounds.
Devon Armstrong finished with seven points and four steals; Kyle Green added seven points and three assists; and Jordan Pavy had six points, three steals and four rebounds.
Brandon Otter also added six points, five deflections, and three rebounds; Mark Sharp added six points at the line in overtime and finished with six rebounds. Daniel Welch finished with three points and seven rebounds; while Michael Haas added an assists and two deflections.
— Debi Sefton