HAMLET — Just like it was expected, Monday’s showdown between the undefeated Hamlet and Rockingham middle school boys’ basketball teams was a thriller.
Coming down to the final minute, the Rockets edged their rivals by one point, 44-43, to earn the regular-season conference championship.
The win also gave Rockingham (9-0) the No. 1 seed heading into the postseason.
The Red Rams (8-1) will be the No. 2 seed, as both teams will get a first-round bye and host home games in the semifinals.
Typically, when a team can avoid accumulating a lot of foul calls, it is to its benefit. For the Red Rams, it may have cost them the game against rival Rockingham on their home floor.
With his team trailing 44-41, Zamarion Robinson, who finished the day with a game-high and career-high 24 points and 10 rebounds, appeared to play hero in the final moments. After missing a shot, the ball bounced back towards Robinson who got an open look and connected on a deep jump shot with just 14.5 seconds remaining.
The home crowd erupted in celebration as both arms of one of the officials extended upwards indicating that it was a 3-point shot which knotted the game up at 44.
However, those fans, visiting coaches, and media representatives standing at the baseline near to where the shot was taken knew that it was going to be a short-lived celebration for the Hamlet crowd. Both of Robinson’s feet were inside the three-point arc and the official’s signal was made in error.
After a brief meeting at the scorer’s table confirmed the error, Hamlet’s side of the scoreboard was changed to 43 and the home team found itself trailing by one.
That’s when Hamlet’s lack of foul trouble became a factor. Hamlet had only been called for four fouls in the second half, meaning that it would need to foul the visitors three times just to put the Rockets in the 1-and-1.
The Red Rams managed to foul the Rockets twice, but Rockingham was able to elude the Hamlet defenders on the third in-bound pass and run out the remaining 4.9 seconds to secure the victory.
In what everything fans could want in a rivalry game, there were four ties and three lead changes in the first half.
It appeared as though the very fast-paced and physical first quarter was going to end in a 6-6 draw. With just seconds left, the Rockets lost control of the ball as they were trying to beat the clock.
The ball rolled around on the floor for a couple of seconds before being scooped up and heaved towards the basket by Rockingham’s Chance Crowder. The ball fell through as the buzzer sounded, setting off the first of many celebrations from the standing room only crowd.
Hamilton, who finished with 23 points, scored nine in the second quarter to help keep his team ahead. Hamlet managed to take a brief lead when an Amer Morrison 3-pointer put the Red Rams ahead 11-10 two minutes into the second quarter.
But Hamilton answered just 8 seconds later with a layup for the Rockets. Hamlet would go on to tie the game five times after that, but never saw another lead.
Hamlet outscored Rockingham 9-8 in the third quarter as Hamilton was limited to just two points in the period.
After a Robinson 3-pointer tied the game at 28-all in the closing moments of the third quarter, Crowder scored a putback off of his own miss at the buzzer to once again put the Rockets back ahead by 2 heading into the final ten minutes.
Robinson tied it up once again with a putback at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Rockets continued to have an answer as Keonta Pegues netted a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession. Back to back baskets by Hamilton put the Rockets ahead 37-30 with just under seven minutes remaining.
Hamlet refused to go away. Morrison connected on a triple, a layup and a free throw and Robinson scored two on a fast break. Pegues added a free throw for the Rockets, but the 8-1 run by Hamlet erased the Red Rams’ deficit and the game was tied once again at 38-38 with 4:40 left in the game.
After Rockingham’s Domonic Tillman traded baskets with Robinson to keep the game even, Hamilton shot one over two Hamlet defenders and it swished through to put the Rockets ahead 42-40 with 1:10 remaining.
Morrison hit one-of-two from the free throw line to cut Rockingham’s lead to one, but Hamilton answered with a beautiful floater with just 30 seconds remaining setting up the drama-filled final moments.
For the Rockets, Crowder scored 11 points in the win, Tillman scored 6 points and Pegues netted 4 points.
Morrison scored 13 points for the Red Rams. Terande Spencer, Chamaure Shaw and A.J. James each scored 2 points, while Spencer added 15 rebounds and 5 assists.
