Fourteen seconds were on the clock and the Chesapeake Cougars were down, 69-67, as they huddled with their coach during a timeout.
"Let's go for the win and just get out of here," said Chesapeake coach John Spinnenweber. "Let's take a chance to win it."
Ray Wagner, a 6-foot-3 junior forward, took the chance and his three-pointer from the top of the key with five seconds left lifted the visiting Cougars (7-5, 6-0) over host Severna Park, 70-69.
"Shawn Plews and Marvin Hazen double-screened for me, and I popped out," said Wagner, who led the Cougars with 24 points and six rebounds. "I was supposed to hit it, and I guess I did. I wanted the ball, and I was glad coach gave me the chance. We wanted it real bad."
Wagner's shot enabled the Cougars to avenge a 47-46 loss to the Falcons (6-6, 2-4) at the buzzer in the first game of the Bob Pascal Holiday Tournament a couple weeks ago.
It also kept the North Division-leading Cougars as the only unbeaten team in league play.
Wagner scored 12 of his team-high 24 in the final period on a pair of threes and by going 6-for-6 from the foul line. The Cougars hit all 10 of their free throw attempts down the stretch.
Wagner also had two of his three steals in the final eight minutes as he overshadowed a 22-point, seven-rebound effort by Greg Korwek and 25 points from the Falcons' Ville Jarvi.
Neither Korwek nor Jarvi got a chance at a final shot as the Falcons lost the ball at midcourt as the buzzer sounded.
The 6-2 Korwek dropped in nine points in the third period as the Falcons overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to make it a one-point game going into the last quarter.
The scored was tied three times in the final quarter before the Falcons gained a four-point advantage (69-65) with 35 seconds left on two free throws by Jarvi.
A jumper by Chesapeake's Marvin Hazen (10 points) cut it to 69-67. On the ensuing possession, the Falcons turned the ball over at midcourt in front of the Chesapeake bench with 14 seconds remaining to set up Wagner's winner.
"We came out very flat and very uninspired in the first half, and I can't explain why," said Falcon coach Paul Pellicani. "We played with more intensity and passion in the second half."
Pub Date: 1/15/97
