Even as his team faced a ten point fourth quarter deficit to the Hays Rebels Tuesday, Lehman head coach Michael Whitten never stopped asking his team to believe.
Between every timeout in the final minutes of the game, Whitten said he kept smiling and kept telling his team to believe that “good things will happen.”
Whitten and the Lobos got their wish as critical plays in the clutch, including two key free throws from senior Tracy Malrey to force overtime, spearheaded a thrilling 66-65 come-from-behind victory for Lehman at the Lobo Den. The result marks the first time Lehman has defeated Hays since Jan. 15, 2013.
Lehman’s comeback bid began in earnest when Rebel senior guard Charles Bohannon scored off a Lobo turnover to give Hays a 52-42 lead roughly halfway through the fourth quarter.
Whitten opted to press the Rebels in order to force turnovers. The tactic worked to the Lobos’ advantage as the Rebel offense struggled to bypass Lehman’s defensive pressure.
The Lobos then turned to senior guard Kimon Horne, who scored nine of his game high 20 points in the fourth quarter. Whitten said Horne stepped up when it mattered Tuesday and was motivated to “leave it on the floor” in his final game against Hays.
“We were on the same page and we were determined not to lose that game,” Horne said.
Little by little, Lehman began to whittle away at Hays’ lead. A three-point play by Kameron Henderson cut Hays’ lead to 59-57.
Adept free throw shooting soon became a vital component in Lehman’s comeback bid. Lehman shot 62 percent from the charity stripe, going 23 of 32 from the line.
Horne was fouled at the three-point line with 28 seconds left in the game. Despite it being the first time in that situation, Horne knocked down two of three free throws to tie the game at 59-59.
Following a Rebel bucket, Malrey was called upon to deliver after he was fouled during a three-point attempt.
With no time left on the clock, Malrey made the first free throw, missed the second, but then calmly sank the third to force overtime.
“Kimon, I can’t say enough about him tonight. He had a great performance when it mattered and it was huge,” Whitten said. “Tracy did miss one free throw, but to come through in an unbelievable pressure situation … I’m proud of those two.”
Lehman carried that momentum into the overtime period.
After winning the opening tip-off of overtime, Lehman slowed down the pace of play, utilizing a methodical half-court offense to milk nearly three minutes off the clock.
A layup by Cameron Jones gave Lehman a 63-61 lead. The Lobos maintained a 66-63 lead after two Horne free throws.
The Rebels were unable to find a way to even the score in the final moments. Hays’ Dre Green tallied a layup to pull Hays within one point at 66-65, but Hays couldn’t take advantage of a final chance to win the game.
Whitten said Tuesday’s win was a total team effort. Obtaining the win in the clutch, which was something Lehman couldn’t do in its first meeting against Hays, was important for the program, Whitten said.
Horne, who was in the 8th grade when Lehman last beat Hays, said it was a step in the right direction.
“To be able to be on that team and do it the way that we did it and be a big part of it, I’m blessed and grateful we ended it the way that we did,” Horne said.
Hays had three players in double figures with Matt Rindahl scoring 19 points, Bohannon with 16 and Green with 15 points.
Lehman’s Jones finished with 15 points while Malrey had 10.
