By Richard Carrier
Contributing Writer

With their Southside District number one player physically drained, then in foul trouble; their emerging number two scoring option ineffective; and facing a AA opponent sending waves of quick-strike quality athletes at them, the Powhatan Indians basketball team reached deep within their ranks to forge a draw with the Nottoway Cougars at the end of regulation Friday night. It then took two overtime periods and a super-hero effort by Shawn Minor, to take down the Cougars 76-69.

Minor was obviously a half-step slower and had little lift in his normally deadly jump shot, but early on his lack of scoring went almost unnoticed. Phillip Barden opened the scoring with two smooth jumpers and Ellis Moore knocked down two free throws for a 6-2 lead. Nottoway fired back with five straight to take the lead at 7-6. The Cougars would not lead again until the opening minute of the first over-time.

The Indians ripped off a 10-0 run on contributions from Moore, Kyle Miller, Dion Berry and Watson Fralin.

Fralin’s very dependable jump shot deserted him (four points) but Berry (15 points, including two 3-pointers) found his stroke to add balance from a different direction. The Cougars crept closer but the first quarter ended with the Indians leading 16-11. Minor’s contribution was zero points, one assist, one rebound and one shot-block.

Nathan Adams drew first blood with a nice turn-around to open the second quarter and Minor scored his first points on a drive. The Cougars mounted another mini-run and closed to 20-18 when C.J. Felder went over Adams to score. Adams retaliated with a run-out layup from Barden and Minor cast in his first and only three pointer. Following Daquan Parrish’s three, Berry’s pull-up jumper put the Indians up by seven. Minor scored on an inbounds play, Berry drove to the rim and Daniel Prillaman made two free throws to give the Indians a comfortable 10-point lead. Tim Reavis got three back for the Cougars before Moore reached back from deep under the basket to score. Minor and his seven points and four fouls left the floor with just over two minutes left. Fralin’s put-back gave the Indians their largest lead at 37-26 as the two teams went to the locker rooms.

Minor was back on the court to start the second half as Prillaman canned a jumper and Berry fired in a three. Four quick Nottoway points reduced the 14 point margin back to ten before Juan Caspers, Nick Parrish and Ralph Branch (3 pointer) had Powhatan suddenly looking at a three point lead. Minor drove and scored at 44-39, Caspers answered, Quintin Hawkes added two for Nottoway and Adams’ pull-up jumper put Powhatan barely in front at 47-43. Another Branch three and a smooth jump shot by Moore stretched the lead to eight, but Branch’s three just before the buzzer sounded again reduced the lead to five at 52-47.

Parrish cut the lead to two on a three to open the final (regulation) period. Berry soared to the rim to get two back. Caspers powered through three Indians to neutralize Berry’s effort. Minor, with nine points, sat on the Indians’ bench and didn’t return until the 4:29 mark. He immediately scored on a pull-up jumper. Roscoe Anderson answered. In a game which was becoming very physical, Barden took a hard foul and made one of two free throws. After three offensive rebounds, Caspers drew a foul but missed both shots at 57-54. With two minutes on the clock, Barden took another hard foul, but missed the front end of the one-and-one.

Branch powered to the rim, scored, was fouled and converted to tie the score. In the next two minutes both teams had good opportunities to close out; Powhatan turned the ball over under their basket, Branch’s hard drive to the Indians’ rim was called a charge, Fralin missed an open jumper, Branch did the same, Minor powered to the rim but was partially blocked and with three seconds left and the Cougars in possession at the far end of the court, Powhatan fouled! Tevin Knight missed the front end of the one-and-one opportunity to set up the first overtime.
Shawn Minor reached deep into some reserve which normal folks don’t have to score 18 of the 21 points Powhatan scored in the two overtime periods and, in the process, became only the second player in Indians’ history to score 1,000 points. There were no soft long-range threes or even medium range pull-up jumpers. Every point was earned on bull-charges at the basket by an exhausted senior supposedly hand-cuffed by four personal fouls.

Nottoway scored the first four points of the first overtime, then Minor went to work. A drive got two back, a steal and run-out evened the score and Prillaman’s two free throws tied again at 63.
With 53 seconds left Minor charged to the rim again and was hammered. The two free throws were nothing-but-net. Branch slashed to the rim to tie at 65 and Fralin’s shot was blocked giving the Cougars the ball with five seconds left.

Again, Powhatan fouled!

This time, with Caspers at the line, both ends of the one-and-one found the bottom of the net and Nottoway led by two. 60-plus feet away from their basket, Berry inbounded to Minor who danced through the Nottoway press and streaked down court. He was met at the foul line by two Cougars and slid between them. A delicate five footer left his hand just as the buzzer went off. Even the normally stoic Minor could not contain his emotions as the gym went berserk.

Caspers opened the second overtime with a twisting drive to the bucket, the last points the Cougars would score.

Minor began to wear a groove in the floor as he again drove the right side for a bucket. Anderson missed two free throws, Moore swept the boards and threw a dart to Minor flying down the right side. Uncontested, the 5’8” giant slammed down a dunk.

Moore stifled the next Nottoway scoring attempt with a rebound and, as the Indians moved down court, Coach Steve Washburn cleared that right side for Minor. Branch was helpless as Minor faked once and darted past him for his 26th and 27th points.

Nottoway turned the ball over and were forced to foul. Minor sank both of his free throws and Berry one.

As the clock ran out, Moore pulled down another of his double-digit rebounds and again found Minor loose on the right. Minor’s dunk didn’t quite beat the buzzer, but no one cared as they filled the gym floor.