Rinkes’ shot sends game to overtime, Mallarnee secures win with foul shot

By Carol McIntire

Editor

Jaxon Rinkes 20-foot jumper swished through the net with 1.5 seconds remaining  in regulation to tie a game with the Salem Quakers Friday at 56-56 and force overtime. The Warriors went on to win the overtime thriller 59-58.

“We knew we wanted to have the ball in his hands (Rinkes) and then make a decision whether it was getting the ball to Darick (Miller) down low on the slip or making a play for himself,” Aukerman said explaining the play was set up during a time out with 11 seconds on the clock. “We put the three guys we trusted the most to make shots in a situation and we came up and hit one.”

It was the first game back for Rinkes, who ws forced to sit out a  couple weeks with a broken bone in his foot.

The Warriors, playing on their home court, dug themselves in a hole the first two periods, trailing 19-12 after the first quarter, by as many as 11 midway through the second and 35-28 at intermission.

They returned to the court recharged and cut the deficit to one point, 37-36 less than three minutes into the third period and took the lead less than a minute later when Miller pushed his way to the basket and put up a shot inside. The 6-foor 4-inch senior scored eight of his 12 points in the period and led the winners in rebounds with 11.

Sophomore Carter Higgins started the third period rally with a steal and layup. Rinkes, who ended the game with a team-high 15 points, fed the ball inside to Miller for a basket and then scored on a short jumper. Junior Cadyn Smith tipped in an offensive rebound to bring his team to within one at 37-36. Miller scored from inside and then took a pass from Rinkes to give the Warriors the lead at 40-37.  

 “I wasn’t very pleased with our defense giving up 35 points in the first half,” Aukerman said. “I told them they had to take more pride. A few things were broken, and a few things were said in the locker room. They got the message and we came out and did a nice job. We set a goal of holding them to 55 points. As soon a Jaxon made that bucket to tie it at 56, I came over and said to them, ‘I told you 55 would do it’ and got a laugh out of them, kind of calmed the nerves.”

Miller picked up his fifth foul early in the overtime period, but his shoes were quickly filled by players off the bench.

“When Darick fouled, out we had to have some guys step up, and some guys who didn’t play well in the first half turned it around and made some plays for us in the second half. It was a team win.”

Aukerman inserted junior Cayden Rininger into the game, who hasn’t garnered much playing time on varsity but has been playing well on JV, and he made a big bucket towards the end of the first half.  Rininger led the junior varsity team to a 53-48 win over Salem prior to the varsity game.

“That provided a spark for us,” the coach said.

“Brody Moore, who didn’t get into the game was communicating from the bench and contributed, so it truly was a team win,” Aukerman said, praising his entire team.

All five points scored in overtime came from the foul line. Salem’s Brock Young, one of three Quakers to score in double figures, sank the first two just prior the midway point of the period (2:11 mark). Young finished the game with 12 points, Drew Weir led all scorers with 16 and Camden Sampson contributed 13.

Carrollton junior Micah Barkan was fouled on a drive into the lane and swished both charity tosses. Lincoln Mallarnee’s successful foul shot on Carrollton’s next possession proved to be the winning margin. The sophomore ended the night with 10 points. Higgins contributed nine, all from 3-point range, Barkan six and Smith five.

Carrollton won the junior varsity game 53-48.