Wildcats stunned in final seconds

The Springfield Wildcats led their high school boys basketball game for roughly 31 minutes and 55 seconds on Friday night.

It was those last five seconds that seemed like an eternity.

Fairmont’s Garrett Sexton dropped in a 3-pointer with five seconds left, giving the Firebirds a stunning 68-65 win on Springfield’s home court. Fairmont had not led since starting the game with a pair of technical foul free throws on a scorebook violation.

How tough was it to take?

The Wildcats (11-6 overall, 3-4 Greater Western Ohio Conference) led by 21 points with 1:42 left in the first half. That lead evaporated in the third quarter and was gone entirely when Fairmont’s Kei’Vante Tanner knocked down a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left in the quarter.

Springfield’s Danny Davis then scored eight straight points starting with a soft jumper to end the third quarter and ending with a 3-pointer with 6:34 left, helping the Wildcats to a 59-54 lead. The Wildcats led two more times by five points, the last coming with 1:50.

Fairmont (15-2, 5-2) tied it with a basket by Tanner and 3-pointer by Jacob Maloney with 1:13 left.

Springfield appeared to take the lead with 53 seconds left, but another Davis basket was negated by a charge call. Springfield’s final chance to tie ended with two seconds left when Anthony Freeman stepped out of bounds taking a frantic fast-break pass right in front of Springfield’s bench.

Davis and Alexander Henry led Springfield with 18 points. Davis also had nine rebounds.

Tanner, who leads the Greater Western Ohio Conference in scoring and rebounding, played just under six minutes in the first half. He spent the rest of the time watching from the bench after picking up three fouls. He was held scoreless, missing both his field-goal attempts. He finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

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