Brown hits game winner with 1.5 seconds left for Stephenville

Sville boys v Springtown FEATURE — Darian Brown hit the game-winning shot with 1.5 seconds remaining Tuesday, when Stephenville clipped Springtown, 48-47, at Gandy Gym. || TheFlashToday.com photo by BRAD KEITH

By BRAD KEITH

TheFlashToday.com NEWS & SPORTS – FREE & LOCAL

STEPHENVILLE (November 24, 2015) — Darian Brown drove off a screen by Coby Vanden Berge, beat the defense to the baseline, and buried a reverse, underhand scoop shot with 1.5 seconds remaining to lift Stephenville to a 48-47 victory over Springtown Tuesday evening.

Springtown tried to throw the ball the length of the court on the ensuing inbound pass, but the ball hit the low-hanging metal rafters of Gandy Gym and by rule went back to Stephenville on its offensive baseline.

Stephenville threw away its inbound pass, too, with Springtown recovering and launching a three-quarter court heave that was batted out of the sky by sophomore Mason Holstein.

That was part of a big fourth quarter by Holstein, who hit a free throw to tie the game then a right-elbow jumper for a 46-44 Stephenville lead with 51 seconds remaining. He followed that up with a steal near mid-court.

Springtown was led by Trent Partain with 15 points. He scored inside with a foul to tie the game at 46-46 with 16.64 seconds left, then knocked down the free throw after a Stephenville timeout to complete the three-point play for a one-point Springtown lead.

Stephenville worked the ball into the front court, and when nothing immediately opened up, first year head coach Bill Brooks took his last timeout with 7.47 seconds left.

Vanden Berge was a force inside all night for Stephenville, scoring 19 points. Brown had six of his 11 in the fourth, when Holstein scored five of his seven. Josh Nowell scored six, Zoey Kendall 5 and Evan Moody two.

Stephenville took a brief one-point lead in the third before Springtown hit a technical free throw and scored twice off stolen inbound passes for seven points in 10 seconds and a 36-30 lead. The Jackets cut it to 38-34 by the end of the third.

Springtown led 29-28 at the half and 12-11 through a quarter. Neither team led by more than five throughout the tight battle.

Stephenville is off the rest of Thanksgiving week and visits Whitney at 7:30 p.m. next Tuesday, December 1.