FAIRMONT — As soon as the final buzzer sounded at the conclusion of Friday’s championship match of the Three Rivers Conference tournament, senior forward Jayvon Morris walked to the center of his home court and held up four fingers in front of the Fairmont faithful.
“We won four years in a row,” said Morris after defeating South Columbus, 54-45, to capture the Golden Tornadoes’ fourth straight conference tournament title. “It feels great because, at the beginning of the season, a lot of people doubted us and said we wouldn’t win a conference championship this year. We just had to hush them up.”
Morris had a team-high 17 points, but just two minutes into the third quarter, it was the referee who held up four fingers to signal a foul on Fairmont’s No. 4. Coincidentally, it was Morris’ fourth foul and he would have to watch the remaining of the period from the sideline with his team up 21-15.
No. 4 Fairmont (15-12) locked in defensively and held No. 2 South Columbus (19-8) to just six more points the remainder of the quarter.
The Tornadoes took a 29-21 lead into the final frame. With their leading scorer playing cheerleader for the crucial moments of the championship game, other veteran players stepped up.
Senior forward Kaheem Pittman scored all five of his points in the last eight minutes. His layup with just over three minutes remaining stretched the advantage to 39-26. The basket was set up by Dwayne Davis who flashed his playmaking throughout the game. Davis ended with six points, nine rebounds and four assists. He had four straight points after Pittman’s layup that widened the gap to 44-29.
Stallions guard Shiquaun Conyers did his best to answer the clutch plays from the Golden Tornadoes down the stretch. He netted 12 of his game-high 20 points in the final period, including a pair of 3-pointers. His triple with 29 seconds on the clock pulled the team within nine, 49-40.
But Conyers and Co., playing from behind throughout most of the contest due to poor shooting, had to resort to fouling and hope for missed free throws.
Morris said he had other ideas, however, and made a confident promise to his coach and running mates upon returning to the action.
“I just wanted my team to come out with the win. I got into foul trouble and just kept cheering the team on and when he put me back in, I told them to give me the ball and I’ll knock the free throws down,” he said.
The senior captain went 7-for-8 in the last minute of the game to seal the Golden Tornadoes domination in the Three Rivers Conference.
Fairmont coach Montrell McNair had no doubt who he wanted the ball to go to down the stretch.
“That was big for him to close it out,” McNair said of Morris. ” I wanted him to get that ball in his hands and finish it off.”
Starting the year just 3-7, McNair says the win is possibly his most coveted, despite being crowned tourney champs the last three seasons.
“We dealt with a lot of adversity to get to this point, so this one is one I’ll cherish because this is the hardest coaching job I’ve had in the whole five years I’ve been here,” he said.
The focus now shifts to Saturday where Fairmont finds out where they will be playing in next week’s NCHSAA state playoffs.
East Bladen finishes flawless conference record, wins tournament title
FAIRMONT — On the girls side, top-seeded East Bladen tacked on another Three Rivers title, easily putting away Whiteville 64-37 to finish unbeaten in league play this season.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke signee Ja’Tyra Moore-Peterson dominated from all over the floor, finishing with 17 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Erica McKoy ended with a team-high 20 points and Patience Ward chipped in with 10.
Lady Wolfpack were led by Marquasia Smith’s 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Both teams wait until Saturday to see where they will be seeded in the NCHSAA state playoffs.
