The undefeated Loganville Red Devils arrived at Alcovy High School on Friday night looking to extend their perfect season one more game.
For the boys, it didn't happen, as a last-second shot by Alcovy's Jamieson Smith helped the Tigers to a 39-38 victory.
When asked about the thriller, Alcovy head coach Eugene Brown said, "We knew it would be a hard fought game and it would take a good effort, and that good effort just happened to be a win."
Meanwhile, the Lady Tigers were outmatched by Loganville, 47-26.
In the boys game, Alcovy (1-2 overall, 1-1 Region 8-AAAA, Sub-region B), was led by senior Worrel Clahar.
The Tigers came out fired up making the Red Devils (4-1, 1-1) play their style of basketball. Alcovy forced seven first quarter turnovers, capitalizing on open fast breaks to control the tempo and a five-point lead into the second quarter.
The second quarter got off much like the first with Alcovy continuing to push the ball up court, but was quickly halted by the outside shooting of Loganville. The Red Devils were able to outrebound the Tigers, while their shooters continued to bury shots from beyond the arc. Loganville was able to hold the Tigers to only four second quarter points, taking an 18-16 lead into the half.
The second half got under way by a showcasing of talent by Clahar. He accounted for all nine of the Tigers third quarter points by driving into the lane time and time again. Although the Tigers were unable to take over the lead, they forced Loganville into crucial foul trouble that would later come back to haunt them.
The Red Devils carried their aggressive defense and superb shooting all the way until midway into the fourth. With three minutes left in the final quarter and the Tigers trailing by five, Clahar and his team found their second wind. Clahar was able to come up with one of the three big 3-pointers in the fourth to cut the lead to two. On the insuing inbound, he then came up with yet another turnover and an easy layup to tie the game at 36.
After the final timeout called by Loganville head coach Joel Cooley, the Red Devils hit a big shot to go up by two with one minute left. Sticking to the game plan, Smith quickly pushed the ball up court and was fouled, sending him to the free-throw line for two.
Splitting the pair of free throws, Smith brought the Tigers within one. Loganville then slowly brought the ball up, trying to play keep-away while holding for the last shot. Demonstrating tough defense, the Tigers were able to come up with a three second violation against the Red Devils, giving them a chance for the game-winning shot.
With 15 seconds left on the clock, Clahar struggled to find an open look at the basket and was forced to dish it off to Smith, who hit a wide-open 15-footer with four seconds left on the clock to win the game.
"It felt great," stated Smith. "I was confident; Coach (Brown) told me to keep shooting and I felt like I could hit it in the clutch."
For the girls, the Lady Tigers (0-3, 0-3) were simply overpowered by the Lady Red Devils (6-1, 4-0). Loganville jumped out to a 17-1 first quarter lead, and led 23-9 entering halftime. Much like the boys, the Lady Red Devils were able to hit outside shots and grab big offensive rebounds for quick put backs.
While the Lady Tigers were trying to force the ball down low to the post, they continuously made sloppy turnovers, committing 30 in all.
"It never feels good to lose, but we are playing all four quarters and getting better," said Alcovy head coach Suzanne Smith. "We are very young, so we are rebuilding."
