Senior Lions edge Colts in thriller

MANILA - The Manila Lions came out on top over Rivercrest in what was a nail-biting finish that ended 68-67. The Lions defended their home floor thanks to Daniel Azucena’s game-high 27 points. His efforts were aided by Rex Farmer and Byron Kisner, who both scored 14 points. Jayden Young had a stellar night despite the loss, posting 23 points to lead the Colts.

Rivercrest gained a head of steam early when they went up 10-5 in the first quarter after a pair of scores in transition by Buddah Harris. He caught an alley oop pass from Jayden Young and finished with a two-handed slam, and then ran out on a breakaway after a steal for the second score. The sequence forced Manila to call their first timeout to try and swing things. They’d grab a couple baskets inside by Hudson Harrison and Kisner, but Jamaris Byrd’s shot pulled the Colts ahead 12-9 going into the second quarter.

Harrison tied the game by taking it inside through contact and converting on the three-point play. Cavonta Washington scored in the paint, but Farmer did the same on the other end. A few plays later, Washington was called for an offensive foul. The Colts Young’s production increased. He took it aggressively inside, creating a three-point play and converting the free throw. On the other end, Kisner cleaned up the glass to create extra opportunities for himself and teammates. He and Farmer battled on the boards to set up a buzzer-beating shot from Farmer to end the half and put the Lions ahead 25-23. Young led the Colts with 10 first-half points and accounted for eight of the 11 points Rivercrest scored in the second quarter. Kisner led the Lions at halftime with eight points.

Scoring picked up for both sides in the second half. The Colts scored a pair of baskets via Byrd and Burks, who both scored inside. Azucena returned fire with a corner three which was quickly erased by a deep ball from Harris. Young made consecutive shots when Harris assisted him on a fastbreak, then he took his defender baseline on the following Colts possession. Washington pulled up just inside the arc to give the Colts a 36-28 lead, but just when it seemed they were pulling away, Azucena converted a three-point play at the line and Baltimore drove inside and floated one in, and the score was 36-33. They continued exchanging baskets inside as both teams struggled to protect the rim. Byrd scored his third basket after a Lions turnover, then Harris pulled up at the top of the key, and the Colts gained some leeway again as they led 45-39 and Manila called timeout. The stoppage seemed to help them as they went on a 6-2 run, but they still narrowly trailed 47-45 when the third quarter closed.

Young pushed the pace to open the quarter and drew a foul, splitting the free throws. The Colts had no answer for Kisner who collected another offensive rebound and scored. Harris showed a similar hunger on the glass and picked up some second chance points. Rivercrest called timeout with about six minutes to play and a 52-49 lead, but after Young came up with a huge block on Azucena’s drive, the Lions needed to call timeout to regain composure. Farmer came out determined and scored a pair of buckets inside plus a free throw as the Lions took the lead 54-52. Rivercrest implemented a press, but the Lions broke it and Azucena scored. The Colts Jakavion Williams didn’t feel the pressure as he scored his first points. The pressure grew, though, as Azucena buried a deep three which elated the home crowd and gave the lions a 59-54 lead. Williams was undeterred, scoring again on an assist from Harris. The Colts played from behind until Young brought them back in front by scoring inside, stealing the ball in the back court, and scoring again. He got a chance to push the lead to two points at the line but failed to convert. With less than a minute remaining and the ball, the Colts seemed to be in the driver’s seat. However, they failed again to score and fouled Kisner on the rebound. He missed both free throws, but the Colts bizarrely lost the ball out of bounds trying to recover possession. The Lions drew up a play to get Farmer a drive to the basket and he crucially drew a foul. He hit both free throws and one final stop solidified the razor-thin win.

Colts Head Coach Hunter Robinson felt his team left chances to win out on the court. “We had our opportunities, but we didn’t take them. They just played better. We got outplayed tonight.”

Coach Heath Matheny of the Lions said that during crunch time he told his team, “Just take care of the ball and rebound.” He continued, “I got a little nervous when they came out and punched us in the mouth after halftime. Everyone stepped up when it counted, and we were able to draw up a play to get Farmer a good look. He made his free throws and we got the stop. We prepare for these moments with our non-conference games, so that we can be ready during gut-check time.”

Manila’s conference record improves to 7-3 with regular season conference games left against second place Newport and number one Osceola. The Colts fell to 4-3 but have five regular season conference games remaining including two against Osceola.