ROCKPORT — The London boys basketball team had been in this position before, only to watch the moment slip away.
Two years in a row the Pirates came within a possession of advancing to the next round. San Antonio Cole beat London at the buzzer in the regional final two years ago, and Columbus did the same in last year’s regional semifinal.
This time, London made sure the ending was different.
The No. 3 Pirates rallied from an early deficit to defeat No. 15 Goliad 68-61 in an overtime thriller Thursday night at Rockport-Fulton High School.
The win not only avenged previous heartbreak, but sent London to the state semifinals for the first time in program history.
“It means the world to me,” London sophomore Maddox Jennings said. “Last year we lost on a buzzer-beater in the round before this, so we had a different chip on our shoulder coming into this year. I feel like we just wanted it more than everybody.”
The Tigers came out swinging from the opening tip and led by as many as 10 points early.
The momentum shifted in the second half when the Pirates opened the third quarter on a 9-0 run. Even when Goliad built another 10-point lead, London still felt it was in position to make a comeback.
“At halftime our kids looked defeated, and we’re not used to being down,” London coach Sean Armstrong said. “We had to overcome a lot of obstacles, and I felt they did that in the second half. I finally started to see them believe in themselves a little bit. At halftime I didn’t think we believed, but we changed that. In the second half we got some things rolling.”
The Pirates faced adversity again when senior Christian Olivares fouled out in the fourth quarter. The Pirates relied on their bench and the play of Aiden Salinas, Matthew McNorton and Jennings in the fourth quarter and overtime.
The Pirates held a three-point lead with 16 seconds left before the Tigers tied the game to force an extra period.
Salinas provided the spark London needed after scoring 14 of his game-best 22 points in the second half and overtime, including two baskets to tie and give London a comfortable lead.
“We knew this was going to be a tough game,” Salinas said. “We played them earlier and they punched us in the mouth early. We knew we had to step up. In the second half we came out, did our thing and came out on top. We run so much and we’re in shape for this. We knew it was going to come down to this moment, and we made it happen.”
McNorton was also key for the Pirates after finishing with 19 points, including a key 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.
Olivares added 14 for London, which went on to outscore Goliad 42-27 in the second half and overtime.
“That fourth quarter and overtime was probably some of the most exciting basketball I’ve been a part of in a while,” Armstrong said. “Our kids showed so much fight and heart. They kept believing and kept competing.”
London’s regional final victory comes with the Pirates playing their fourth postseason game at full strength. Jennings, who missed most of the season with a broken hand, said his return helped the Pirates rediscover their rhythm.
“I broke my hand a little over a month ago and had surgery the next day,” Jennings said. “Coming back was the best feeling ever because our team kind of fell apart a little bit when your point guard is out. When I came back, we kind of meshed together again. I feel like there’s no one that can really stop us.”
The Pirates improved to 38-1 and have now won 19 consecutive games dating back to the regular season.
London awaits the winner of the Fairfield-Orangefield game scheduled for Friday, March 6.
“I told our kids this was our time,” Armstrong said. “They didn’t quit. They kept fighting and believing, and when you do that sometimes it works out. Tonight it worked out for us.”
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: London basketball tops Goliad in overtime to reach first state semifinal
Reporting by Rey Castillo, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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