Central drops two close games to Forbush

Brady Edmonds (33) scored a team-high 21 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers, in Friday’s overtime loss to Forbush.

Jeff Linville | Special to the News

DOBSON — Both varsity basketball games between Surry Central and Forbush went down to the wire on January 7.

The Foothills 2A Conference showdowns on Friday night ultimately both went the way of the visitors. Forbush’s girls won 61-53, and the Falcon boys won 90-84 in overtime.

In the girls game, Surry Central trailed 49-39 at the start of the fourth quarter before going on a 9-0 run. The run started with a 3-pointer from Ally Crotts, then Central’s Mia McMillen scored a layup after a defensive stop. McMillen stole the next two Forbush possessions and finished on the other end to make it 49-48.

The game remained a one-possession game until there was less than a minute left on the clock. Forbush led 55-53 with 45 seconds remaining in regulation, then extended that lead with a layup. The Falcons got a steal at midcourt and scored again, then rebounded a missed 3-pointer by the Eagles and scored one final time with 16.9 seconds on the clock.

Surry Central drops to 6-6 overall and 0-3 in the FH2A Conference. Forbush improves to 9-5 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

McMillen finished with a near triple-double with 27 points, 14 rebounds and seven steals. Jaylyn Templeton grabbed 13 rebounds, including nine off the offensive glass.

Scoring

FHS – 12, 11, 21, 17 = 61

SCHS – 10, 17, 10, 16 = 53

FB: Skylar Southard 23, Laci Mendenhall 10, Carrie Vestal 8, Alexis Ball 6, Natalie Scott 6, Brooke Davis 4, Emily Eads 4

SC: Mia McMillen 27, Brittany Frausto 11, Ally Crotts 6, Audrey Poindexter 2, Jaylyn Templeton 2, Katelyn Patterson 2, Ashley Santamaria 2

Overtime was only appropriate in a game that was neck-and-neck throughout. Central outscored Forbush by two points each of the first two quarters, then Forbush outscored Central by one point in the third quarter and three in the fourth.

The game was tied at 72-72 with 22.7 seconds left in regulation. Jacob Mitchell went 1-of-2 from the foul line for Central, then Forbush’s Peyton Compton scored a layup on the other end. Josh Pardue went to the line for the Eagles with 3.4 seconds to play. The junior missed his first shot but made the second to send the game to OT.

Forbush took a six-point lead out of the gate in overtime, but Central hit a 3-pointer to make it 80-77 with 1:09 on the clock. Compton hit two free throws for the Falcons, then Central’s Avery Wilmoth countered with two points on the other end. Dawson Graham added two more points from the line for the visitors.

Brady Edmonds knocked down his fifth 3-pointer of the game to cut the Forbush lead to 84-82 with 29.5 seconds on the clock. The Eagles fouled Compton again after trying to steal, then Compton went 1-of-2 from the line. Forbush rebounded the missed second free throw and gave it back to Compton to be fouled again. This time, the guard went 2-of-2 and put the Falcons up 87-82.

Central missed a field goal that would cut into the lead, then Forbush got the rebound and Graham was sent back to the line. Graham knocked down both free throws, then Wilmoth quickly scored a layup on the other end. Compton added another free throw at the end of the game to make it 90-84.

Surry Central drops to 9-5 overall and 2-1 in the FH2A Conference, while Forbush improves to 10-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

Scoring

FHS – 15, 17, 24, 18, 16 = 90

SCHS – 17, 19, 23, 15, 10 = 84

FB: Peyton Compton 30, Cannon Doub 18, Noah Crews 18, Dawson Graham 10, Joe Hennings 8, Brandley Luna 3, Caden Funk 3

SC: Brady Edmonds 21, Jacob Mitchell 14, Christian Robinson 11, Dakota Mills 9, Tripp McMillen 8, Jacob Edmonds 6, Avery Wilmoth 6, Josh Pardue 5, Kade Norman 3, Reece Hanson 1

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