Technical catapults Bartlett to win
Technical fouls can change basketball games, especially late in games.
Bartlett took advantage of a Rockford Jefferson technical with 3:25 remaining by scoring 4 points in 7 seconds to turn a 1-point deficit into a 3-point lead. The Hawks didn’t trail again as they beat the J-Hawks, 53-49, in pool play action at the Jacobs Holiday Tournament Saturday.
“They started to get the momentum and we wanted to take it back,” Bartlett senior Jon Moss said. “I think that technical slowed them down and got us the lead back.”
Jefferson’s Antoine Pittman had an offensive rebound and putback to give the J-Hawks a 43-42 lead. After the basket, Pittman said something to a Bartlett player and was whistled for a technical for taunting with 3:25 remaining in the game. Moss hit both free throws to give the Hawks (9-3) a 44-43 lead, which was the seventh and final lead change of the final quarter.
With the possession following the technical, Lance Whitaker scored on a driving layup with 3:18 remaining for a 46-43 advantage.
“It was a high intensity game,” said Bartlett coach Jim Wolfsmith, whose team also had a technical called on it in the third quarter. “The technical that they got hurt them because it gave us a little bit of separation. We have to learn to keep our mouth shut and just play the game regardless of what’s going on on the floor.”
Jefferson (5-4) would get within 2 points three times in the final 2½ minutes. Billy Kramer had a layup and then Moss hit 4 free throws in the final 22.1 seconds.
“My teammates have faith in me,” said Moss, who finished with 15 points. “We do drills like that in practice and I have to be the last one to shoot. So I’m pretty comfortable.”
Bartlett led by 15, 21-6, after a Moss 3-pointer with 5:42 remaining in the first half. Jefferson was just 2 of 17 from the floor at that point. The J-Hawks hit 6 of their final 7 shots to finish the first half on a 13-3 run, cutting the deficit to 5, 24-19.
The Hawks led 33-30 when they were called for a technical after a shooting foul. Pittman hit 2 of 4 free throws to get Jefferson within one. A minute and a half later, M.L. Moore hit a 3-pointer to give Jefferson its first lead, 35-33.
Neither team led by more than 4 the rest of the game.
Marcus Aluquin led Bartlett with 16 points, 11 coming in the second half. Whitaker had 14 points.
Pittman finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds for Jefferson. Jared Mayes added 14 points.