By DARRELL MOODY
Nevada Appeal News Service
RENO - A nine-point lead with a little more than two minutes left in regulation. It should have been money in the bank for a veteran team like the Douglas Tigers.
McQueen had other ideas, however.
The Lancers finished regulation with a 10-1 run, and then outscored the Tigers 8-7 in overtime to grab a 60-59 nonleague boys' basketball victory Tuesday night.
Jacoby Covington, who scored eight points, snapped a 59-all tie when he hit the second of two foul shots with 7.7 seconds left in overtime. Chris Honer's game-winning field goal attempt from 15-feet was off the mark.
The Tigers, who had the last shot in regulation and overtime, dropped to 3-2 overall. They host Bishop Manogue in the first round of the Carson Valley Classic Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
"This is squarely on our shoulders, the coaching staff and the players," Douglas coach Keith Lewis said. "We're nine up with two to go. With this group, we should have enough (to hold on), and it will be. I'd be very surprised if this happens to us again."
Eric Emm hit two free throws to make it 51-42 with 2:15 left in regulation, and the Tigers would only score one point the rest of the game.
Covington started the comeback when he scored on a layup following a Douglas turnover. The Tigers turned the ball over on their next possession, and Covington scored from the inside, and was fouled on the play. He hit the free throw to convert the three-point play, slicing the deficit to 51-47.
Nick Summers (21 points) was fouled with 1:19 left, and he hit the front end of a 1-and-1 situation to make it 52-47. The Tigers got the offensive rebound when Summers missed, but couldn't convert.
Dustin Rossness, who was only 5-for-24 shooting from the floor, knocked down a 23-footer to make it 52-50 with 47.8 left. Douglas turned the ball over on its next possession when Andy McIntosh tried to split a double-team by the Lancers. Covington missed from the field, but Mitch Solano got the rebound and was fouled. He sank both foul shots, tying the game at 52-all with 18.8 left in regulation.
Brian Green had a chance to win the game in regulation, but his jump shot went in and out. Freshman Keith Olson grabbed the rebound. Emm's 30-footer at the buzzer didn't draw iron.
McQueen grabbed a 56-53 lead with 2:04 left in overtime, and Luke Rippee's two foul shots cut the lead to 56-55 with 1:37 left. Douglas tied the game at 57 on Summers' layup with 35 seconds left. Green scored to make it 59-57, but Olson (14 points, 16 rebounds) scored to re-tie the contest, setting the stage for Covington's heroics.
The disappointing finish wiped out a solid first-half performance by the Tigers, who after a sluggish start, outscored McQueen 14-4 in the final 4:11 of the second quarter to take a 32-21 lead.
"The first half we played pretty well," Lewis said. "A lot of it was free throws. Things turned around when they got that technical."
Lewis was referring to Jake Albin, who mouthed off to an official after a foul was called on a teammate.
Douglas led 18-17 with 4:11 left. Emm, who was fouled on the play that prompted the technical, knocked down four straight shots from the line to make it 22-17. McIntosh added two more foul shots five seconds later for what amounted to a six-point play. Two free throws and a bucket by Summers completed the 10-0 run.
Max Welborn ended the run with a layup, but a layup by Honer and a free throw by Rippee extended the lead to 31-19. After two free throws by Solano, Honer hit a free throw with 22.9 left to make it 32-21.
Olson and Summers scored 10 apiece in the first half, and Lewis said the Tigers didn't use their big center enough.
Olson intimidated the Lancers in the first half, but McQueen came out in the second half, and Solano scored two quick hoops against Olson, which sparked McQueen to a 16-6 third-quarter edge, which sliced Douglas' lead to 38-37.
