Needing to get the ball back, Paris Junior College made a big stop in the final two minutes trailing Tyler by a point. They got it, but the Dragons shot blanks their next two trips down the floor and lost 65-62 to Tyler. (eParisExtra photo by Charles Richards)
Ashley Johnson shoots over a Tyler defender, scoring in the final second of the game of the Lady Dragons’ 85-77 loss on Sunday. (ParisExtra photo by Charles Richards)
By CHARLES RICHARDS
eParisExtra
TYLER – Trailing 60-59 in the final minute, Paris Junior College couldn’t make the go-ahead basket and Tyler Junior College was 5-of-6 from the free throw line the rest of the way to nail down a 65-62 victory on Sunday.
Antonio Arnold led Paris with 16 points, and Mike Harmon added 13 points. Tyler was led by DeAndre Harris with 16 points and Anthony Odunsi with 13.
It was Tyler’s seventh straight victory and improved the Apaches to 16-4 overall and 7-3 in Region 14 junior conference play. Paris fell to 10-12 and 4-7.
Odunsi grabbed two big rebounds for Tyler in the final minute as the Dragons tried to take the lead. Dickerson stepped out to the 3-point line and missed with 35 seconds to go and with the shot clock now off, Paris had to foul Odunsi or let the clock run out.
Odunsi made both two free throws for a 62-59 lead, and when Eddie Leal misses his 3-point attempt for a tie with 10 seconds to play, Odunsi again was there for the rebound.
Odunsi made only one free throw attempt this time, but one was all Tyler needed for a two-possession lead at 63-59 with just 8.3 seconds to play.
Lo and behold, Harmon raced past midcourt and made his 3-point attempt. That made it 63-62 but with only one second to play.
Daniel Edozie added two more free throws for the 65-62 final score.
The game was tied 40-all halfway through the second half, but Tyler went on an 11-0 run in 80 seconds to break out to a 51-40 lead.
Arnold made two 3-pointers, and Paris got two baskets from Sheldon Yearwood and Anthony Adams as the Dragons got back into the game, almost catching up in the final minute.
Paris coach Chuck Taylor was second-guessing himself after the game because Anthony Adams committed his fifth foul with 1:14 left in the game.
”I should have done offense-defense with Ant. I made the decision not to, and he picked up his fifth foul trying to grab a rebound. That’s how I want him to play, but I should have subbed him and got (David) Tucker back in. He was giving us some good defense,” Taylor said.
“When Ant fouled out, we didn’t have our floor general in there at the end to make the plays we needed,” Taylor said.
Taylor said he is disappointed with the loss, but not with his team’s effort.
“We lost to a good team, a well-coached team,” Taylor said.
Tyler coach Mike Marquis said:
“We made some big free throws, and we got a couple of great rebounds near the end. Odunsi and Harris made some good shots. Paris is extremely talented and is playing really well right now. We were fortunate to win.”
Paris’ next game is Wednesday night in Paris against Trinity Valley (14-7, 5-5). The Dragons wind up the first half of zonal play on Saturday against Panola College in Carthage.
In Sunday’s first game, Paris’ Lady Dragons lost to Tyler’s Apache Ladies 85-77.
Shanice Vaughn led Paris with 17 points, followed by Ashley Johnson with 16, Voche’ Martin with 13, and Brea Castro-Gambrell with 11.
Paris trailed by 20 points in the first half and it was 46-32 at the break. But Paris rallied behind Johnson and Vaughn and found themselves trailing by 77-73 in the final couple of minutes.
PARIS DRAGONS 26-36–62
TYLER APACHES 30-35—65
Paris JC (10-12, 4-7) – Antonio Arnold 4 4-7 16, Mike Harmon 4 2-2 12, Anthony Adams 2 0-0 4, Chris Jones 2 0-0 4, David Tucker 0 2-2 2, Delwin Dickerson 2 0-0 5, Eddie Leal 2 0-0 4, Lamar Walker 2 0-0 4, Sheldon Yearwood 2 3-4 7, Morris Mitchell 1 0-0 2, Will Ransom 0 2-2 2. Totals: 21 13-17 62. 3-Pointers: 7 (Arnold 4, Harmon 2, Dickerson 1). Fouls: 21. Fouled Out: Adams. Technical Fouls: 1.
Tyler JC (16-4, 7-3) – Trevor Berkeley 3 1-2 8, Todd Eaglin 2 1-1 6, John Alexander 2 0-0 4, Anthony Odunsi 3 7-8 13, Chaz Samuel 0 0-0 0, DeAndre Harris 4 5-7 16, Sharife Sargeant 1 2-2 4, Winsio Barry 0 0-0 0, Dale Jones 3 1-2 8, Daniel Edozie 2 2-3 6. Totals: 20 19-25 65. 3-Pointers: 6 (Harris 3, Berkeley, Eaglin, Jones). Fouls: 13. Fouled Out: None.
PARIS LADY DRAGONS 32-45-77
TYLER APACHE LADIES 46-39—85
Paris JC (6-13, 1-6) – Shanice Hill 0 0-0 0, Kelsei Ewings 0 6-6 6, Lea Holt 0 2-2 2, Shanice Vaughan 6 5-8 17, Maeghan Scott 3 2-2 8, Ashley Johnson 7 2-2 16, Brea Castro-Gambrell 3 5-6 11, Adriene Small 2 0-0 4, Voche’ Martin 4 5-7 13. Totals: 25 27-33 77. 3-Pointers: None. Fouls: 22.
Tyler JC (9-11, 2-5) – Kim Munoz 1 0-0 2, Shernise Robertson 7 16-17 35, Blayke Hemmitt 4 0-0 12, Sierra Henry 2 2-2 6, Carolina Lopez 4 2-3 10, Raiesha Preston 0 0-0 0, Adrienne Phillips 3 7-7 13, Bria Emanuel 2 3-4 3. Totals: 23 30-33. 3-Pointers: 9 (Robertson 5, Hemmitt 4). Fouls: 15. Fouled Out: None.
Charles Richards Charles Richards moved to Paris in 2004 after retiring from a 40-year career in journalism – the last 26 years as a news writer and sports writer with The Associated Press in Dallas and Washington, D.C. In mid-2004, The Paris News coaxed him out of retirement, and he began covering the police, court and regional beat for The Paris News. Then in early 2005, he was switched to coverage of a sharply divided Paris City Council. He was appointed by the City Council in 2006 to the 12-member City Charter Review Commission, which extensively rewrote the outmoded document. His writing awards include two first-place awards in statewide competition for feature writing. The most recent was his 2005 story on a Paris doctor’s startling use of leeches in a successful attempt to re-attach a man’s severed ear. Over his career, Richards’ interview subjects include Alabama Gov. George Wallace, President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush, David Koresh, Arnold Palmer, Muhammad Ali and numerous other political and sports figures. He is an alumnus of Texas Tech, where he was editor of the school newspaper. He lives in Paris with his wife, Barbara, who is retired after 30 years as a teacher and high school counselor.
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