The opportunity to make a game-winning shot on the basketball court does not present itself too often.
One such moment arose Tuesday night when GMC Prep (11-1 overall, 7-1 region) faced off against Hancock Central, and head coach James Lunsford called upon his star player, junior Malik Foston. With the game tied at 34-34 in the fourth quarter and the clock ticking away, Foston drove hard to the basket but pulled up in the lane and knocked down a jumper to put the Bulldogs up two with only about two seconds remaining. The home crowd went absolutely bonkers. Hancock Central had a good look at the basket to try and earn the win, but came up short as GMC Prep took the region contest 36-34 in a game that saw six lead changes in the fourth quarter.
“We wanted to try to set a pick for him to let him get a good shot,” Lunsford said afterwards of the game-winning play. “In fact we had set it on the other side of the floor but they trapped him. They did a good job against him all night… He’s a winner. When in doubt give the ball to a winner.”
The bleachers in the Cordell Events Center were packed Tuesday night as the Bulldogs squared off against the team from Sparta, just a 20-minute or so drive down the road. Points came at a premium for both teams all night long and the victor was ultimately determined based on which team put forth the most effort. It was shown all night long as GMC Prep fought harder for loose balls and rebounds against the larger Hancock Central players. Deshondre Liggins drove past a drowsy defense with time dwindling in the second and made a layup to beat the buzzer as the home Bulldogs took a 17-10 lead into the halftime break. But a push late in the third quarter saw the visitors take a two-point lead into the all-important fourth.
The two contenders went back and forth in the final eight minutes. Hancock’s size was a significant factor in the fourth, as the Bulldogs had several possessions where they grabbed multiple offensive rebounds that led to points in the paint. There were several questionable calls made against both sides Tuesday night, which was something Lunsford noted after the win. One such instance was when GMC Prep senior Javez Mason streaked down the floor after a steal looking to put his team up four. Mason gathered the ball to try and sidestep a Hancock defender in his path and converted on the tough layup. Referees whistled him for a walk, however, and the Cordell crowd voiced its displeasure loudly. Hancock went down to the other end and hit a pair of free throws to tie things up. Back on offense now, GMC Prep let Foston take over as he drove and hit a left-handed layup to once again put his team up by two. The visitors were equal to the task, knotting up the contest at 34-34 on their end. Lunsford called a timeout with 15 seconds to go and Foston took it from there with his game-winning jumper in the lane.
“I just think this group of kids plays the hardest of any group I've had since I've been at GMC,” said Lunsford, now in his eighth year heading up the school’s boys basketball program. “They executed well at the end, and they do a great job. I’m very proud of them. I must say though, that might have been the worst officiated game that I've seen since I've been at GMC. But I think the kids played through it, which I thought was great. I’m just happy to be 11-1, and it’s so important to win home games. Everybody played hard whether they scored or not.”
It wasn’t the first time GMC had beaten Hancock this way either. In fact, circumstances were quite similar when the two took the floor against one another last season in Milledgeville. With the game tied Foston rebounded a missed free throw and flung a prayer from well beyond half court. The shot banged in to give GMC Prep the victory that night too.
Foston finished the most recent encounter with a game-high 14 points and also snagged 13 rebounds in the winning effort. Deshondre Liggins was second on the team in scoring with eight points on the game.
Hancock Central will look for retribution on its home court when GMC Prep travels to Sparta Jan. 30. The GMC Prep boys will be at home Friday night taking on Glascock County in a 7:30 p.m. tip.
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