Boys basketball: Davione Stamps’ 3 overtime free throws lift Plano past Ottawa 48-45

OTTAWA – Sinking a game-winning 3-pointer with 7.1 seconds left would have been more exciting, sure.

But getting fouled on that 3-point try the way Plano’s Davione Stamps did Tuesday evening at Ottawa and then calmly draining all three free throws for a 48-45 overtime victory proved to be just as effective.

“I knew he was going to jump, so I was just trying to bait him in and make it look like a foul,” Stamps said. “He jumped right into me, so I knew I was going to get to the free-throw line.

“And then, really, at the free-throw line it was just a confidence thing. I’ve been on a roll right now ... so I was just confident. I knew they were going to go in.”

The Pirates (3-4) had a chance to tie things back up and force a second four-minute overtime, but their 3-pointer of their own at the buzzer bounced off the right side of the rim into the hands of Plano’s Waleed Johnson, setting off the celebration for Plano (4-5).

“We’ve struggled in some of these close games,” Reapers coach Kyle Kee said. “Big free throws by Davione late.

“It was just physical, back and forth, two big post players [Ottawa’s 6-6 Cooper Knoll and Plano’s 6-10 Isaiah Martinez] getting after each other ... it was a big challenge for us, knowing as fundamental as Ottawa always is, as methodical as they are.”

The three overtime free throws were Stamps’ fifth, sixth and seven points of the night. Martinez led the Reapers with 17 points and eight rebounds, with Alijah Johnson scoring 13 for Plano, which shot 41.0% (18 of 43) on the night.

Ottawa received a career-best 17 points and eight rebounds courtesy of Huston Hart. Knoll added 11 points – including all five of the hosts’ overtime points – and four assists, and Aric Threadgill recorded nine points for the Pirates, who shot 41.5% (17 of 41) and had repeated chances down the stretch in regulation and in overtime to take control, but couldn’t cash in.

“We had many opportunities to be able to get it done and didn’t make enough plays offensively at critical moments to get the job done,” Ottawa coach Mark Cooper said.

“I didn’t think we had the energy on the defensive end that we’ve had most nights, and we had opportunities to get it done tonight and weren’t able to, but credit Plano making one more play than we did.”

The way the game played out, the need for overtime was no surprise.

The Reapers held a one-point advantage (14-13) at the close of one quarter, Ottawa led by one (25-24) at halftime, and Plano regained a one-point edge (33-32) heading to the fourth. The Pirates took a 40-38 lead with 2:40 remaining in regulation off a Hart mid-range jumper following an offensive rebounds just to see Plano tie it 40-40 a minute and two seconds later on a daring Stamps layup that sent him hard to the floor and almost into Kingman Gym’s baseline bleachers.

Though each had chances, neither managed to score over the final 98 seconds, sending things to overtime. There, a Johnson bucket for Plano was immediately answered by Knoll equalizer at the other end. Martinez then drained a big-man 3 only to have it answered by a big-man trey by Knoll at the midway point of the four-minute extra session.

The teams again traded fruitless possessions until good ball movement created first an open look for Stamps and then, when he was fouled, the three game-winning free throws.

“He was open,” Kee said of Stamps. “He didn’t make it, but luckily they fouled him, and he made ‘em.”

Plano is back in action Wednesday at home against Marengo.

Ottawa returns to Kingman Gym on Friday for an Interstate 8 Conference visit from Rochelle.