Eastside vs. Westside: Last-second basket gives Dougherty 47-45 win over Westover

ALBANY — The music blared and the sold-out crowd stormed the court after Dougherty’s Maurice Davis scored just before the final buzzer sounded Tuesday night at Dougherty High School to give the Trojans a 47-45 win over crosstown rival Westover precisely one week after Westover won 48-47 on a late 3-pointer.

The Westover girls team won big in the opening game, 69-37.

Last week Westover’s Kemari Leverette hit a long 3-pointer in traffic to give the Patriots a one-point win and Trojan fans may have felt a sense of deja vu when Leverette hit a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to provide Westover with a 41-38 lead with six minutes remaining in the game. The Trojans had led since the second quarter and pushed their lead to seven points in the third before Levette’s 3-pointer tied things up.

Both teams played fast, physical defense but Westover was the beneficiary of four straight calls that sent their player to the line for free throws late in the third quarter. The Patriots missed several opportunities but it was enough to close the gap and keep Dougherty from getting further ahead. Dougherty head coach Bakari Bryant pleaded with the referees for foul calls on his end of the floor and got a couple, including one that put Markelle Jones on the free-throw line. His free throw tied the game 45-45 with a minute and a half to play.

Then Dougherty got a huge call with seven seconds left when Westover was in possession of the ball. The charging foul gave the Trojans the ball with seven seconds to play. The Trojans shot and missed but Davis was right there for the rebound and he quickly put it into the hoop for the winning basket. Teammates rushed onto the court to swarm Davis and fans emptied the stands to celebrate the win.

Trojan shooting guard Jai’on Burns led the team with 16 points while Jones followed with 11.

Leverette led Westover with 13 points, Anthony Milton scored 10 and Kavon Johnson added eight.

The win gives Dougherty a 2-4 record on the year while Westover falls to 3-4.

The girls game was a different story. It was competitive early as Westover led only 12-10 after the first quarter but the Lady Patriots went on a 12-2 run early in the second to lead 24-12 after a three-pointer from Jada Landers. The Lady Trojans responded with a three from Jatiana Chambers and worked to get back into the game but the Lady Patriots led 29-19 at the half and pushed that lead to 49-32 after three. Westover’s full-court press continued into the fourth quarter as the Lady Patriots outscored the Lady Trojans 20-5 and finish with the big win.

Landers led all scorers with 23 points, Rayven Thurston put in 17 points and Lundyn Walker added 12. Dougherty’s Jacquelyn Buchanan led the Lady Trojans with 14 points and Chambers followed with 11.

The win moves the Lady Patriot record to 6-1 on the year while the Lady Trojans fall to 1-5.

Westover has another rivalry battle Friday night when they host Monroe. Dougherty will be off until Monday when Spencer of Columbus comes to town.

Special Photo: Joe WhitfieldJoeWhitfield[email protected]