Coliseum League play started on a high note with the Crenshaw Cougars boys basketball team defeating the Washington Prep Generals 113-112 in quadruple overtime.
The biggest point differential throughout the extra phases was only five points. The Cougars made shots to force the overtimes until senior guard and team captain King Peterson landed a three pointer with less than 14 seconds left in the fourth overtime.
“When I passed it to my teammate, I thought he was gonna shoot it, somebody passed it back,” Peterson said. “I was gonna for sure shoot it.”
Peterson finished the game with 24 points and nine rebounds. Lacoy Smith led the Cougars with 28 points.
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Prior to the Crenshaw vs Washington Prep boys basketball game, both teams paid tribute to the lives of Quincy Reese Jr and Dwayne “Coach Frosty” Franklin @25Championships @CrenshawCentral pic.twitter.com/MLuXaNK9DA
— Amanda Scurlock (@Amandtastic) January 11, 2024
Generals senior Briyan Aldridge led all scorers with 31 points. Aldridge noted how mental fortitude was key in competing through the extended game.
“Calves burning, I can’t feel my legs, my right leg’s numb,” Aldridge said. “Physically, your body can take it, but it’s just about mentally if you can push through or not.”
Prior to the start of the game, Cougars head coach Ed Waters held a tribute for two members of the team they lost last year: guard Quincy Reese Jr. and coach Dwayne “Frosty” Franklin. The tribute included a 35-second moment of silence in respect to their jersey numbers. Reese Jr. wore a no. 10 jersey and Franklin wore no. 25 when he was a player on the Crenshaw boys basketball team.
“I believe they were with us tonight, we won this for them,” Waters said. “This is something spiritual as far as I’m concerned. I’ve never been a part of four overtimes and I’m just glad I was here to be a part of it.”
The Generals launched to a 9-0 start in the early minutes of the game. The Cougars found their rhythm but went into the second quarter trailing 15-21.
The Crenshaw boys basketball team defeated the Washington Prep Generals 113-112 in quadruple overtime pic.twitter.com/lzz9btTZp2
— Amanda Scurlock (@Amandtastic) January 11, 2024
Crenshaw made a run that gave them a nine-point advantage near the end of the second phase. Shots from the likes of Aldridge and junior center Dareon Scott narrowed the deficit to 41-42 by the half.
Early in the third quarter, the two teams switched leads and traded baskets. A shot from Scott would tie the game at 55 and Crenshaw junior guard Jalen Washington gave them the lead with less than five minutes left in the phase. Senior forward Jeremiah Blackmon made back-to-back shots and forced turnovers.
The Cougars led by as much as 11 points until Aldridge and Dewayman Martin went on a 10-2 run. Crenshaw led by four points to end the third.
With 4:12 left in regulation, Martin sank a three-pointer to give Washington Prep the lead. This also sparked an 8-2 run for the Generals. Perfect free throw shooting kept the Cougars in the game; Smith shot the final two free throws of the fourth, tying the game at 88.
Smith also tied the game at 95 at the end of the first overtime. Three Crenshaw players, including Smith and Blackmon, fouled out.
Blackmon scored 24 points and 13 rebounds and Washington contributed 20 points to the Cougars’ campaign. Martin scored 23 points, Scott dropped 18 points and Michael Aikhionbare poured in 15 points for the Generals.
