Overtime sweep: Shendow, Clarke top Colonels

View larger image Clarke County’s Ethan Emmart, right, drives past James Wood’s T. J. Bruce during the game in Winchester on Saturday. Andrew Thayer/Daily View larger image James Wood's Ryland Williams goes up with the ball for two point during the game against Clarke County in Winchester on Saturday. Andrew Thayer/Daily View larger image James Wood's Nick Foura lays up the ball for two points in game against Clarke County in Winchester on Saturday. Andrew Thayer/Daily

By Brad Fauber - sports@nvdaily.com

WINCHESTER -- Clarke County senior point guard Connor Shendow may have been a little frustrated with his ball-handling after four quarters in Saturday's matchup against James Wood.

He also may have began feeling the fatigue after playing a majority of the 32 minutes of regulation of a game that more closely resembled a track meet than a basketball game.

But with overtime looming after neither team could break a 76-76 tie in regulation's final minute, Shendow used the break between the fourth period and the extra frame to regroup and catch his breath, entering overtime with a renewed sense of confidence and energy. That made all the difference as he led the Eagles to an 88-83 overtime win. It was the second overtime win for the Eagles over the Colonels this season.

After Colonels sophomore Ryland Williams put James Wood up 80-78 in overtime on a pull-up jumper in the lane, Shendow put the Eagles' offense on his back, responding with a 3-pointer to give Clarke County an 81-80 lead with 2:44 to play.

Williams tied the game at 83 on a trey of his own with 2:03 to play, but Eagles junior David Hardesty found Shendow wide open on the left wing, and Shendow buried his second 3-pointer of the overtime period with 1:00 left to give Clarke County a three-point lead.

The Colonels couldn't answer, and Shendow added a pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining to secure the Eagles' win.

"I struggled a little bit during the game for the most part, but I found my rhythm towards the end of the game and then into overtime," Shendow said. "This team -- we're just 'never give up.'"

James Wood opened the game with a 5-4 lead when Michael Carter (team-high 15 points) hit a trey with 6:32 to play in the first quarter, but Clarke County responded with a traditional three-point play by Alex Sefton to take the lead with six minutes remaining.
The Eagles (7-5, 3-2 Bull Run) would hold that lead for most of the game, extending the margin to as much as 11 points midway through the third period.

But the Colonels (5-7, 0-1 Northwestern) managed to hang around, thanks to a quick-hitting offensive attack and erased a nine-point deficit with a 12-3 run in the fourth quarter, tying the game on a layup in transition by junior Brett Lewin. A 3-pointer by Cam Butler with 2:40 to play gave James Wood its first lead since the opening period.

But the Colonels' defensive style often leads to a multitude of fouls, and the Eagles went to the free-throw line twice in the final 1:30 of regulation, hitting three of four free throws to tie the game at 76.

Clarke County shot 17-for-25 from the line, while James Wood shot a miserable 6-for-18.

"We were very poor from the free-throw line, and we fouled way too much," Colonels coach Al Smith said. "They completely outhustled us. We just, for whatever reason, were not ready to play today."

Clarke County rotated just seven players against a Colonels team that makes its living running the floor, making the fact that the Eagles were able to maintain their energy level for 36 minutes that much more impressive.

Ethan Emmart led the Eagles with 25 points. Hardesty and Shendow added 20 and 14 points, respectively.

"I think we lost our legs with about three minutes to go in the fourth," Eagles coach Brent Emmart said. "And then, I don't know if we got our second wind or what happened, but we kind of sucked it up and got it done in overtime."