SOUTH CITY • Kevin Baker tried not to think about it.
With the season on the line, the Imagine junior guard stepped to the line for the three biggest free throws of the winter. Trailing Miller Career by four points with just over half a minute remaining in the Class 4 District 4 semifinals at DuBourg, Baker calmly buried all three of his free throws.
The Bears then force the ball loose on the ensuing possession and Imagine guard Martavian Paye dove to the floor, grabbed the ball and flipped it to Baker, who laid the ball in and was fouled. He finished the old-fashioned 3-point play to give Imagine its first lead since the early moments of the game. The Bears held on for the thrilling 68-63 win over Miller Career in a rematch of last year’s district championship.
Imagine moves on to the district title game where it will take on Gateway Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
“I was thinking we were going to go home,” Baker said. “That we needed to keep fighting for this win.”
Fight, scratch, claw: pick one and it aptly describes how No. 10 small school and top seed Imagine (19-7) managed to squeak by Miller Career (12-13). The Bears had the lead with the first basket of the game.
The Phoenix took it right back on the next possession when Derrick Williams Jr. knocked down a 3-pointer. On the night, Williams was the catalyst for Miller Career. He scored 27 points and always seemed to get a basket right when Imagine was about to make it a one-possession game.
“I told him I needed him to be aggressive,” Miller Career coach Dale Turner said.
Was he ever. Williams scored 12 points in the third quarter to help the Phoenix push their lead to 47-39 headed into the fourth.
But Baker had the answer. He scored 19 of his team-high 29 points in the final quarter to push the Bears past the Phoenix.
“They had us rattled,” Imagine coach Tony Irons said. “We missed a ton of free throws to put ourselves in that situation.”
Miller Career was able to get easy baskets by attacking Imagine’s full-court pressure. The Phoenix were able to high-tail it up the court for easy looks at the rim that turned into layups or free throws.
“Our idea was to attack the press and score,” Turner said. “We wanted to get to the basket.”
Only in the waning moments of regulation did Miller Career’s plan fail. While the Phoenix had excelled in handling the press most of the game, they turned it over in the most critical of situations, allowing Imagine the opportunity to escape with the win.
“We didn’t play great late,” Turner said. “But my kids played their asses off. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”
Allen Williams scored 14 points for the Phoenix. Also in double figures for Imagine were Miles Nettles (11) and Kenneth Harris (10).
Imagine got five points from Payne, who played his first game back after suffering a knee injury in late January.
Follow all of the playoff brackets here. In other Class 4 District 4 action Tuesday:
Gateway Tech 68, Vashon 63 • It’s tough to beat a team three times—especially when you’re trying to do it in foul trouble.
Vashon beat Gateway Tech at the Normandy Christmas Tournament and then beat their Public High League rivals again, on Senior Night, at Gateway Tech. Tuesday night at DuBourg, however, that wasn’t the case.
“We got the one that counted,” Gateway Tech coach Tyrone Jones said.
Sam Taylor scored 19 points to lead Gateway Tech (15-10) to the 68-63 district semifinal win over No. 2 seed Vashon (15-7). The win pushes Gateway Tech into the district final, where it will take on top seed Imagine. Tip off is slated for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Vashon led by as many as nine midway through the third quarter but was never able to put the Jaguars away. With Taylor and Andrenos Powell providing the scoring punch, Gateway Tech kept hanging around. With just under five minutes to play, Gateway Tech pushed its nose in front 58-57 and would never trail again.
Helping the Jaguars to the win was their ability to draw fouls. In the fourth quarter, Gateway Tech hit 14 of 20 free throws. For the game, it went 23 of 35. Vashon was five of eight for the entire night.
“We’ve struggled with fouls all year,” Vashon coach DeAndre Davis said. “It came back to bite us.”
The Wolverines lost Antonio Hopkins and Derrick Mitchell in the fourth quarter and were never able to recover. They struggled getting into their offense.
“They get us into what we like to do,” Davis said. “We just didn’t make enough basketball plays.”
It’s a stinging defeat for Vashon, which had an impressive season. The Wolverines were among the top teams in the PHL and area for most of the winter. Davis admitted it’s a tough sell when the season has just come to an end.
“You want to show the kids their whole body of work,” Davis said. “Show them what they did in the PHL. We’re trying to get this thing turned around. They’re a part of something.”
Charles Johnson scored 15 points for Vashon while Mitchell had 13 and Hopkins added 10.
