Falcons extend win streak to three
Senior guard Blake Draper steps up to the free throw line for the Abbotsford Falcons with the game knotted at 47-47, with only 1.3 seconds of time remaining in regulation.
Draper has just been fouled while attempting to shoot a three pointer. It’s three chances to earn a season defining victory, and Draper knows all he needs to sink the Phillips Loggers’ chances for the victory is to sink one free throw.
Draper goes through the motions of his free throw, visualizing the ball going through the net. His follow through is perfect, his stance set, and his eyes steady.
His arms? Less so.
He lets the first attempt fly. A loud CLANK reverberates through the gym. It’s the only noise in the gym as both players and fans alike hold their breath.
Two more free throws, two more chances. Another deep breath. Another shot set free, and another loud CLANK resounds as the ball rims in and out.
Two free throws. Two misses. One more chance.
The tension reaches new levels, and Draper knows that a miss here sends the game into overtime. With the Loggers having chopped down a seven point lead, the momentum is firmly on the visitor’s side, and one feels should it go to overtime the game will belong to Phillips.
Then the Loggers’ head coach calls a time out, hoping to ice Draper and let the nerves build. It does not have the effect he intended.
“It actually helped,” Draper says afterwards. “My coaches and teammates reassured me and really gave me the confidence when I went back out there for the final try.”
It had all built up to this last free throw, with Abbotsford hosting the Phillips Loggers in their final regular season game of the 2019-20 campaign on Friday.
Abby played the Loggers close in their first game, a 56-52 loss on Jan. 3, and that result gave the Falcons the confidence that they could play with the second ranked team in the Marawood - North.
“Coming in we knew they liked to battle, and we like to battle,” Draper said. “In the end, who’s going to come out on top, it’s never a predetermined thing. You just got to go out there and play and see what happens.”
The Falcons had been so close in so many tight games, but over their last two contests - wins over Assumption and Granton - they felt as though they’ve turned a corner.
“I think we’re seeing things great right now,” Draper said about the team’s chemistry. “We’re really starting to get it right - it’s not perfect, but we’re getting there.”
That chemistry took another step forward thanks to the inclusion of some key ingredients that have been lacking at times - namely better passing and better movement without the ball.
Abby used well delivered passes to find open shooters along the perimeter. Hunter Soyk buried a pair of triples in the first half, followed by two each from Draper and Cade Faber, and the Falcons took an early 22-17 lead in the first frame.
Phillips whittled that away with some strong shooting from Taber Fawley and Derek Loomis, but a successful ‘And-1’ play from freshman Brandon Diedrich gave the Falcons a 31-24 lead at the break.
The Falcons also did an excellent job of keeping the Loggers off the glass, holding Phillips to numerous single possession shots as they hustled after loose balls and offensive rebounds.
Abby’s defense contained Phillips in the second with Fawley the lone Logger to score from the floor. But when he did, he didn’t stop. Fawley scored a game high 29 points, including 21 in the last period.
The Falcons went up by as much as seven at 37-30 with 13:22 left in the game, but it was only a 45-41 advantage with five minutes to play. The Falcons’ offense went stagnant, and then disappeared altogether as Abby scored just two points in the final five minutes.
A basket by Fawley tied things at 47-47 with 30 seconds to go, and the Falcons swung the ball around, taking air out of the ball for the final shot.
With the clock winding down, Draper rose up for his shot and was fouled, and with the chance to extend Abby’s win streak to three, the pressure was on.
Two misses, one last shot.
Draper came back to the free throw line after the time-out, and stepped up to the line. He went through his routine, practiced his follow through, and let the ball fly.
It rattled around the hoop for what seemed like an eternity - and then dropped in, giving Abby a 48-47 lead.
With barely more than a second on the clock, the Loggers conceded defeat, and the Abby bench exploded onto the court as fans went wild in celebration, showering the Falcons with cheers.
As for Draper, a relieved and sheepish grin was all he could muster.
“Honestly, I was thinking about how if I miss, they’re going to kill me,” Draper said about his final free throw. “That was a big shot, and I’m just glad it went in.”
Draper led Abby with 16 points. Faber added 13, and pulled down a game high 17 boards. Mason Carpenter finished with eight points, Soyk added six points and a team high four assists. Diedrich scored three points and Reiley Schreiber ended his night with two points.
Abby will now enter the playoffs with a 6-16 record, and the Falcons will prepare for the Spencer Rockets in the first round of the WIAA D-4 regional playoffs.
Spencer is the heavy favorite, but with the Falcons playing their best basketball at the perfect time, Abby is looking forward to the March 3 game.
“This win really helps,” Draper said. “It really shakes up everything. I think it’s really awesome, and provides us an opportunity to maybe get a playoff win and keep the season going.”
