Lee County’s late three-point barrage buries Northside 64-48

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RELENTLESS ON THE ATTACK: Northside senior Mekei Spencer (0) showed out on senior night, aggressively attacking the Lee county defense for a game-high 23 points. (Clay Brown/HHJ)

WARNER ROBINS — Northside (13-10, 2-6 Region 2-5A) was well on their way to the program’s first victory over Lee County (15-9, 7-2 Region) since 2018, but a late three-point barrage squashed those hopes in a 64-48 defeat.

The Eagles led after the first and second quarters on Tuesday, and held the advantage deep into the third. They relentlessly attacked the basket, Mekei Spencer specifically.

Spencer had a game-high 23 points and earned multiple and-one opportunities diving to the paint regardless of which Trojans big occupied the lane.

The energy was high and momentum in Northside’s favor as they took a commanding 12-4 lead in the opening period. It was hard to believe the team on the floor was the same that lost to Luella earlier in the year because they refused to attack the basket.

“Any time when you listen to your coach and he tells you to play off of two feet, you’re gonna have some success,” Head coach Buck Harris said. “It finally stuck in there tonight that if I go in there and if I play off of two feet, I’m gonna have a chance to score, or get fouled and put the ref in a position where he’s got to call a foul.”

Lee County responded with an 11-0 run from late in the first to the 5:56 mark in the second, putting them up 15-12 and draining the life from the Eagles’ Nest.

The overall run ended at 17-3, putting the score at 21-15 before Northside broke off a 6-0 streak to tie the game.

A three-pointer reactivated the crowd and just like that the momentum was underneath the Eagles’ wings again as they enjoyed a 27-21 halftime cushion.

The Trojans hit two quick jabs out of the break, the first coming off of multiple offensive rebounds on one possession.

County and region rival Houston County is familiar with Lee County’s ability to rebound the ball and get second-chance opportunities. The Eagles reacquainted themselves after an earlier 73-47 loss.

“I miss Chastan Brown, because when you got a 6’8” who can go get those rebounds off the glass, that eliminates some of that stuff,” Harris said. “My first key on the board was we have to be tough on the inside because they’re gonna attack you inside out, and they got big guys to do that.”

“They got girth, and we don’t have that,” He continued. “I’m out there with three or four guards sometimes, and that hurts…if we ain’t doing the tough stuff to keep them from getting there and pushing them out, we’re always gonna struggle like that.”

Kendrell Butler’s four third-quarter three-pointers were what really brought the roof down, though.

Harris yelled, “2-3” from the sideline, and the Eagles entered their 2-3 zone defense.

The reason that particular defense is so popular in high school is because the average high school player can’t shoot well enough to exploit its primary weakness — openings on the perimeter.

So while many teams opt to work the ball to the middle of the floor and work from there, the Trojans swung the ball around and tested the temperature.

Butler made his first, not surprising for a player who’s made a three in 11 games this season.

But they tried the same thing on the next possession, and he made another. Soon enough he’d made four and put Lee County ahead 43-41 at the end of the third. The Trojans’ bench and small group of fans made enough noise to fill the gym as the pendulum swung entirely in their direction.

“Second chance opportunities and not changing defenses fast enough to let number 10 get off and hit those three or four threes in a row. That changed the momentum,” Harris said. “It’s solely my fault. I didn’t know if they could make enough threes…obviously the kid got hot and he made three or four threes and then [Torren Williams made two].”

“Once a team gets a lead the basket gets this big,” Harris said, indicating a circumference much bigger than a regulation hoop with his hands. “This game is all on my shoulders…I probably should have done some things differently. But my kids played hard, they battled, and they had a chance to be right there.”

The positive Harris noted was that every time Lee County came with a big play, his team always had an answer. The Eagles didn’t crumple after the Trojans put six threes through in the span of a few minutes, and they fought until the game was out of reach. But eventually, Harris said, they’ll have to win games like these.

“You guys could have been doing this all year. You can play with anybody, and you can beat anybody. You just got to be tough enough to believe you can do it, and we haven’t been,” Harris said. “This program is now starting to get to the point where we’re gonna compete and we’re gonna be in some games, but until we win those games that we’re capable of winning, it’s gonna be a problem for us. We just got to get over that hump.”