TBL GAME OF THE WEEK
With 14.5 seconds left in the game, the visiting Carolina Coyotes trailed Gulf Coast 140-138. For Gulf Coast, sitting at 4-11 on the season, a win in front of the home crowd would represent a beacon of hope. For the 11-3 Coyotes from Carolina, pulling out a hard-fought road win would enable them to keep pace with Syracuse and Jamestown in the battle for the East crown. Carolina inbounded the ball from their own baseline following a timeout. But play was quickly stopped by the referees because of a clock malfunction. Over two minutes passed before the issue was resolved. The clock was reset for 15.3, and Carolina would get set to inbound, this time from the hash opposite the team’s benches.
Carolina’s Eric Eaves got the ball in to Vernon Jackson Jr. just inside midcourt. Sliding gracefully from the right wing to the left, Jackson Jr. got a pick at the top of the key from Deshaw Andrews. That forced the defenders, Jeremiah Bell and Daniel Augustine to switch, and then made his move aggressively to the bucket. Jackson Jr. tried to blow by the larger defender, Augustine, and swooped up for a layup with his left hand. But Augustine managed to remain right alongside the quicker guard and swatted the attempt into the hands of teammate Jamal Gaines. Jackson Jr. was irate and pleaded with the officials to call a goaltend on Augustine.
After a long counsel, and in the absence of any video aid, the three officials indeed reversed the original call and determined that the ball was on its way down as Augustine blocked it. The game was now tied at 140 with 6.7 seconds remaining. Gulf Coast’s first attempt to inbound for the game-winner ended in a timeout. Their second in a wild shot attempt that was missed and rebounded by Carolina, pushing the game into OT.
OVERTIME IN OVERDRIVE!
Overtime in the TBL is a torrid affair as the periods each only last two-and-a-half minutes. Drawing first blood is critical. And that is exactly what Carolina did. Not even 10 seconds following the tip-off, the Coyotes’ Marshall Lange had driven left from the right wing and laid in a finger roll to put the visitors up by two. But Gulf Coast wasted no time knotting up the score behind a truly thunderous one-handed jam from Augustine.
An and-one put Carolina up three. But consecutive layups by big Emilio Parks gave the lead right back to Gulf Coast. Several empty possessions for each team ensued. Then Lange found himself at the free-throw line with his Coyotes down a point. He would hit the front-end but miss the second. Parks would grab the board for Gulf Coast and hand it off to Brashon Griffin with 31 seconds remaining. Griffin would go 1-on-1 against Jackson Jr. who defending him beautifully.
The possession ended with a Griffin tough turn-around fade from 13’ that went begging. Jackson Jr. snared the rebound with eight ticks on the clock and accelerated down court. With Griffin defending at the top of the key this time Jackson Jr. put the ball nimbly behind his back from left to right and nailed a 20’ jumper from straight away. That put Carolina up 148-146 with under a second left.
And that’s how this thriller would end. This phenomenal 2021 TBL season sprints towards what is sure to prove a dramatic conclusion. There has never been a better time to take advantage of the steep TBLTV discount that being a dedicated thePeachBasket reader will get you.
If you want to make sure you catch all of back-and-forth action from games like this, sign up for a TBLTV League Pass. Use the URL and coupon code below to save 30%.
Carolina Coyotes vs. Gulf Coast Lions
Friday, June 4, 2021
Peach Basket’s TBL Game of the Week
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