ABILENE, TX – Trailing Odessa High by four points with six seconds remaining Friday, it appeared the Abilene High boys basketball team was headed for its second consecutive loss and third in four games. But persistence, a creative coaching decision and a little good fortune paid dividends in an improbable 65-64 overtime win.
Down 64-60 in the extra period after the teams had closed regulation tied at 53, Abilene High (16-5 overall, 5-3 in District 2-6A) started the winning sequence by sending a baseball pass down the court for a quick layup to cut the deficit to two. Coach Justin Reese then had his team force an intentional delay of game call to reset its defense, and before the ensuing inbounds play, OHS called a timeout it didn’t have for a technical foul that sent Jalen McGee to the free-throw line with a chance to tie the game.
McGee, who finished with a game-high 24 points, only made one of two, but with the technical came possession, and Nathan Watts hit a buzzer-beating layup off a long pass to lift the Eagles to the win.
