The Richland Campus men’s basketball Thunderducks stung the Eastfield Harvester Bees 86-83 in overtime at home Feb. 24. With the win, Richland was scheduled at press time to enter the district tournament as the No. 2 seed on Feb. 29.
The T-Ducks took pride in guarding defensively and boxing out in the final game of the regular season. Jhi Jackson, Richland sophomore forward, said, “Last time we played, they were knocking down shots and taking easy bunnies, but this time we were knocking down the shots we were missing, and making easy bunnies.” Easy bunnies refers to layups in basketball.
Eastfield, came in challenging the T-Ducks as they were quick and pushed through defences with aggressive attacks. In some cases, they bulldozed most of the team. By the second half, both teams were neck-and-neck with points as well as fouls. Both were counterattacking each other, leaving a tight space for gaining any kind of advantage. Eastfield had players throwing 3-pointers and fouling with the aim of surpassing the T-Ducks.
One major advantage Eastfield had was constant rotation. Every six minutes, they put fresh feet on the court, confusing the T-Ducks. While Richland maintained a static rotation, they kept their focus. Entering the second half, score was 38-37, with Eastfield holding the slim lead. The players were fighting like cats and dogs to reset, rebound, and score.
The game of tag went on and on with increased aggression and pressure as they kept tying until the final second of regulation 76-76. Finally, the T-Ducks were able to take the squeaker win 86-83 in overtime.