'Friday the 13th' was bad news for Holcomb Hornets

CARDWELL, Mo.- The curse of “Friday 13th” looked like it was going to raise its ugly head early against the Rebels when Southland forgot what defense was.

What seemed like half a dozen second-chance shots and uncontested three-pointers by Holcomb compared to what seemed like a lid on the basket on the other end where the Rebels couldn't hit the red side of a barn.

With just three minutes into the contest, Braxton Wiggins for the Hornets missed the backend of two free throws to take the lead 1-0. The lead for Holcomb in the next two minutes grew to 9-1 when Jeremiah Kenner, Noah Kenner and Samuel Jacobs scored 6 points in a row for Holcomb.

That was until the hero of the game for the Rebels, the coach’s son Camden Washington connected on the first of his four three-pointers on the night. This halted the Hornets' momentum, trimming the Holcomb lead to 9-4 and sparking a vicious comeback by the Rebels.

On this latest five-game winning streak by Southland, scoring has come from several top starters and key bench players. This produces a team where head coach Tyre Washington can rotate five or six players and not lose a beat. Southland in the last two minutes of the period went on a 8-3 run, getting scoring from four players. Those players were Lonnie Gipson, Knoah Beal and Braylon Cox along with Washington to knot the game at 12 with only a minute and twenty-five seconds left.

The first period ended at 16-14 with the Rebels barely holding the lead after a slow, slow start. With the second period came a complete reversing of the tide. The Rebels went from no defense in the first period, to stifling aggressive half-court pressure on every pass. By the end of the period, with the largest lead of the night for the Rebels at 33-26, the dagger came from the star of the game, Washington.

He stole a pass near the right side lines, on the Hocomb end of the floor with around five seconds to go in the half. After taking three dribbles, Washington fired a shot from what seemed like downtown Cardwell (two steps behind the half-court line) just at the buzzer and it was all net. The lead in a heartbeat had ballooned to 36-26.

The ecstasy from the hometown crowd, and the frustration released by Coach Hixon, was a total reversal of a bad karma night from one team to the other.

The second half of the game was academic because of the Rebel’s second-quarter dominance and dagger three-pointer at the end. Southland outscored Holcomb 42-22 in the second half and ran away with the final score, of 78-48.

When Coach Washington was asked what changed from the first quarter to the second, He responded, "Defense". When I asked him what was the key to their winning streak of five in a row and now 2-1 in conference play, he answered, "Defense again.”

“My players are responding in practice and on the court, with what they can do to win ball games as a team, and not individuals,” Washington said.

Jeremiah McMinn from the winning Rebels finished with 14 points, nine in the second half, after no points in the first quarter.

I asked him what changed after the first period.

“I locked down,” McMinn said. He became more aggressive on the offensive end and more focused on the defensive end.

Camden Washington was the leading scorer in the game with 20 points.

I asked Camden Washington, ‘What were you thinking when you released the half-court shot?’

He responded, "I just hoped I had gotten it off in time."

Southland was 1-3 after an opening loss by two points at Ridgefield. Coach Washington stated they should have won. They came back and won a close game at Piggott by two points, and then suffered their first home game and conference loss by 38 points.

Now they turn around and are on a winning streak of five games in a row with a record now of 6-2 (2-1 in conference play).

"Our coaches believe in us,” Camden said. “We believe in them, and we believe in our team as a team."

The Holcomb Hornets(1-4) (0-1) are scheduled to play against the Hayti Indians at home on Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. then follow up at Westwood Baptist on Dec. 19 beginning at 6 p.m. The Southland Rebels will travel to Rector to play on Dec.19th beginning at 7:30 p.m. Following this game, they will enter the Ridgefield Christmas Tourney beginning Dec. 20.