By Phil Major | Published Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Decatur High School boys' basketball team held off Iowa Park, 42-38, Saturday afternoon in Henrietta to gain the final basketball playoff spot in District 5-3A.
Cade Isham's drive and dish to Jordan Rawle gave the Eagles the lead for good, 40-38, with 38 seconds to go. Brad Gamm took a charge to hand the ball back to the Eagles, and Jarrod Morris iced the win with a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left.
Morris had 17 points for the game, Isham 10 and Rawle eight. Decatur earned a playoff date with District 7-3A champ Glen Rose, which is ranked No. 17 in the state. The game is set for 7 p.m. Thursday in Mineral Wells.
The Eagles outscored the Hawks 10-3 down the stretch to secure the win. Decatur was in control most of the first half, leading 10-6 after one period and 21-13 at the half.
But Iowa Park quickly made a game of it, hitting a three-pointer and then a lay up following a steal, forcing Eagle coach Roger Brown to call time out with the lead down to 21-18.
"I was hoping we could have stayed separated," Brown said. "They jammed us up defensively in the third quarter, and we got frustrated and it snowballed."
The teams traded baskets, with an Iowa Park three on an inbounds play trimming the Eagle lead to 25-23. Another steal and lay up tied it at 25, and the Hawks edged ahead on a free throw, followed by yet another turnover and basket to make it 28-25 Iowa Park.
Following another Brown time out, the Eagles worked it inside to Rawle to end the third period down 28-27.
The Hawks drew first blood in the fourth to go up 30-27, but Morris knocked down a three from the baseline to tie the game. Iowa Park answered with an inside basket and free throw to lead by three again. Following a scoring drought, Brown called time again, and Decatur pulled within a point as Rawle took a feed down low and scored.
The Hawks responded with an inside basket, and Gann's short jumper made it 35-34 Hawks. Decatur took the lead on Morris' free throw line jumper, and the Hawks took time. After working for a wide open shot inside, the Hawks missed, and Isham followed with a drive and score at the 1:38 mark. But the Hawks tied the game on a three, 38-38, and Brown called time with 1:22 to go.
The Eagles turned it over trying to work the ball inside, but Iowa Park turned it back over on a charging foul - one of two critical offensive whistles for the Hawks in the closing seconds. That's when Isham teamed with Rawle for what proved to be the game winner.
Brown praised the Eagles' defense and rebounding.
"We've been preaching defense and taking charges," he said, "and our big guns knocked (shots) down."
