It was the biggest shot Jamee Watson ever made.
Trailing 43-40 against East Chapel Hill with time running out in regulation, Watson accepted a pass from point guard Esther Mwirinzi and drained a 3-pointer from the wing with 11 seconds remaining. It started a 13-0 run that would lead the Red Wolves to its second win of the season.
Sophomore Kennedi Fearrington finished with a career-high 22 points as the Red Wolves rallied from a late deficit to defeat East Chapel Hill 53-43 in overtime at Red Wolves Gymnasium on Friday night.
Watson fell just two points short of her career-high, which was 14 points against Eastern Alamance on February 21, 2024 in the Central Conference Tournament semifinals.
The Wildcats (0-6) appeared set to earn its first win of the season and avenge a loss to the Red Wolves from the previous week. East led 42-36 with 2:26 remaining after a basket by Amira Wright.
Fearrington took over down the stretch, sparking a 7-1 run with a lay-in assisted by Watson. Fearrington sank two free throws after being fouled by Natasha Berg with 1:02 remaining. Wright split two free throws with 25 seconds remaining, setting up Watson game-tying 3-pointer. Berg missed a 20-footer as time expired in regulation.
Fearrington opened overtime with a free throw, then scored in transition off a pass from sophomore Elliott Weisenfeld. Mwirinzi and Fearrington each knocked down free throws to push the Red Wolf lead to 48-43. Cedar Ridge forced six turnovers in the overtime. East shot 0-for-4 from the field. Watson knocked down two free throws for the final points of the game.
Hailey McLeod opened the second half with a free throw to tie the game at 18-18, which started a string of 12-5 Red Wolf run. Weisenfeld scored off a lay-in on a pass from Watson to put the Red Wolves in the lead. Fearrington scored to push the Cedar Ridge lead to 29-21, but the Wildcats would take the lead early in the fourth quarter after a jumper by Jayden Salazae.
Berg led the Wildcats with 14 points. Salazae finished with eight points and 21 rebounds. East Chapel Hill lost despite outrebounding the Red Wolves 62-46, including 23 offensive rebounds.
Cedar Ridge opens Big 7 Conference action at Orange on Tuesday night. The Lady Panthers dropped games to Northwood and Eastern Alamance last week.
Men’s basketball: East Chapel Hill 64, Cedar Ridge 30
East Chapel Hill broke open a tight game with an 18-0 run in the second quarter to beat the Red Wolves for the second time in seven days at Wildcat Gymnasium on Friday night. Jameer Phelmetta led East with eleven points while William Characklis had ten points.
The Wildcats registered 15 steals compared to just one for Cedar Ridge.
The Red Wolves (1-5) were led by sophomore forward A.J. Seymore, who scored 13 points.
Cedar Ridge actually led at the end of the first quarter 10-7, shooting 4-of-7 from the field. James Faubert opened with a 3-pointer assisted by Seymore. Faubert closed the stanza with a jumper assisted by Tripp Beasley.
East Chapel Hill outscored the Red Wolves 21-4 int the second quarter, outrebounding the Red Wolves 15-4. Faubert scored off another pass from Beasley to put Cedar Ridge ahead 12-10 with 5;57 remaining in the second quarter. From that point forward, the Wildcats scored 24 consecutive points and held Cedar Ridge scoreless in the final 5:58 of the first half.
Cedar Ridge didn’t score again until Seymore hit a jumper with 4:58 remaining in the third quarter, a span of 8:59 without a point.
John Mauck put the Wildcats (3-4) ahead for good with a stickleback basket with 4:07 remaining in the second quarter. By the time the Characklis scored with 5:43 remaining in the third quarter, the Wildcats led 34-14.
The Red Wolves will journey to Orange on Tuesday night for its Big 7 Conference opener. Cedar Ridge hasn’t defeated Orange in men’s basketball since February 5, 2021.
