By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Last season, the Holmes boys’ basketball team had a 5-6 record in games decided by eight points or less, so winning an overtime battle against Newport, 81-79, on Friday was a positive step for the Bulldogs.
“I’m very, very pleased because we could’ve folded in overtime,” said Holmes coach Mike Listerman. “We gave up the lead, but our kids bounced back and showed that mental toughness, which is something we’re not necessarily noted for.”
Holmes had a 63-50 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and let it slip away.
With 24 seconds left, the Bulldogs were ahead 70-67 when senior guard L.J. Miller missed two free throws. Newport needed a 3-point goal to tie the score and sophomore guard DaeShawn White buried one from the left corner to send the game into overtime.
The Bulldogs ended up winning the game at the free throw line. They made 11 of 12 foul shots to account for all of their scoring during the overtime period, but it still came down to the final seconds.
After White swished his second 3-pointer to make it 80-79, Newport fouled Holmes senior forward Ke’rez Race with two seconds left. He made the first free throw and missed the second one. Newport got the rebound and a player heaved a shot from beyond the half-court line that banged off the backboard as the horn sounded.
“We just sucked it up,” Race said of pulling out the win in overtime. “We took care of the ball and got our shots (at the line) and knocked them down.”
In the Northern Kentucky preseason coaches poll, Newport was ranked No. 3 and Holmes No. 9. But the Bulldogs made the most of their home court advantage Friday, shooting 51 percent (25 of 49) from the field compared to the Wildcats’ 39 percent (24 of 61). Both teams had four double-figure scorers. The leaders were Newport senior forward MeKell Burries with 31 points and Race with 23.
Race scored 11 points in the first half that ended with the Bulldogs holding a 37-23 lead. With 4:28 left in the second quarter, a technical foul was called against a Newport player and that launched a 13-6 run by Holmes to build the 14-point halftime lead.
Burries had just five points at the break, but the left-handed shooter netted 23 points during the second half to lead Newport’s comeback. In the third quarter, he scored 13 of his team’s 20 points.
“Our guys needed to find him,” said Newport coach Rod Snapp. “He’s a guy that when he touches the ball he can really make things happen.”
Newport’s other double-figure scorers were junior forward Tahj Harding with 15 points and junior guards Makhi McGuire and Miller with 11 each. The other double-figure scorers for Holmes were senior forward Donavin Saxon with 15, Miller with 13 and senior guard Dv Gulley with 10.
“We’ve still got a long way to go,” coach Listerman said after his team’s victory. “We’ve still got 23 or 24 more ball games to go, but I’ll take this (win), on this floor against a good team. Even though we gave up the lead, I liked the way we bounced back in overtime.”
The win definitely boosted the confidence of the Holmes players, especially the ones returning from last year’s disappointing 12-17 season.
“We were definitely the underdogs at the beginning of the season,” Race said. “By the end of the season, they’re going to find out who we really are.”
NEWPORT 9 14 20 27 9 — 79
HOLMES 18 19 18 15 11 — 81
NEWPORT (3-1): Miller 3 5 11, Williams 0 3 3, Beamon 1 0 2, Harding 6 2 15, Burries 9 10 31, McGuire 3 2 11, White 2 0 6. Totals: 24 22 79.
HOLMES (2-1): Miller 3 6 13, Commodore 3 2 8, Race 6 7 23, Sterling 3 3 9, Saxon 5 4 15, Gaither 4 0 10, Gulley 1 1 3. Totals: 25 23 81
Three-point goals: N — Burries 3, McGuire 3, White 2, Hardin. H — Race 4, Gaither 2, Miller, Saxon.