GAINESVILLE — The anticipation of his first-ever playoff game was admittedly too much for sophomore Riverside Military Academy guard Shad Dabney in the early stages of the Eagles’ Class A Private second round showdown with Walker.
Dabney had more fouls (3) than shots attempted (2) in the first half and picked up a quick fourth foul in the third quarter as Riverside trailed most of the way.
“I was definitely too excited for the game at the beginning,” he said. “The coaches sat me down and just told me to try and relax.”
We should all get that relaxed.
Dabney put on a show for the ages in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 points, including a running floater with 2.3 seconds left, to somehow lift the Eagles to a miraculous and thrilling 64-63 come-from-behind win Wednesday at Nichols Arena.
He scored 15 in the final 1:54, including going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line, as the Eagles strategically used their time outs and fouled the Wolverines, who missed eight free throws in the final three minutes.
Even with a thunderous corp of cadets helping fuel the Eagles charge, Walker (20-9) still looked to have the upper hand when Chandler Baker sank a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left for a 63-59 lead. But Dabney created a pair of free throws with a drive moments later, hitting both, and Orlando Stevens gave Riverside the ultimate opportunity with a steal with 12 seconds left, pulling the Eagles within 63-62.
After Walker’s Darius Garvin missed two free throws with 9.9 seconds left, the ball again found Dabney, who serpentined through the Walker defense for the game winner. The Riverside defense deflected a last-ditch pass by the Wolverines setting off a wild celebration by the team and cadets.
“I’m so proud of our guys and how they never quit, even when they were down 13 and 8 points in the last few minutes,” Riverside coach Marvin Latham said. “It was a frustrating game for Dabney but before the fourth quarter started we just told him that it was time for him to go. What a performance.”
Riverside (21-5) trailed 57-44 with just three minutes left after the Wolverines used a 23-5 second half run to seemingly take control. But Khalid Duke got the comeback started with a stickback basket and Jordan Battles followed with his own stickback bucket. From then on, it was the Dabney Show, who scored 15 of the final 16 points.
“I knew I couldn’t let down the seniors, who I really just felt so great about getting this win,” Dabney said. “I looked at my mom and Coach (Trevor) Bishop said I just needed to go. Once I hit that first one I could feel it.
“This was big for me to know that I can compete in the playoffs. It was big for the team to know that we can win in the playoffs. When I saw the ball go through (on the winner) I just said, ‘we did it.’
“But the cadets were huge for us. We felt the pull from them and they kept us going. Just a great crowd.”
The win also represented the first time ever the program has advanced to the Elite 8 in the Georgia High School Association playoffs.
“This is big for the team but it’s also big for the program,” Dabney said. “This means a lot to us for sure.”
Latham said the solution going forward was a simple one.
“We just need to do us and that’s it. We believe in this team and they believe in themselves,” he said.
Riverside looked poised to take control of them game in the third quarter, despite getting no points from Dabney, using a 9-2 run to take its biggest lead of the game at 39-34, capped by a Stevens basket with 5:07 left in the period. But the Wolverines started on their big run closing out the third quarter with a 10-1 spurt as they broke down the Eagles press with long passes over the top on three consecutive possessions, each converted by Baker, who finished with a game-high 18 points.
However, the Eagles used their press to speed up the Wolverines to great effect in the first half forcing 14 turnovers for 8 points. Walker countered with a disciplined half-court offense and offensive rebounding to get Riverside in foul trouble and created a dozen points off second-chance opportunities.
The teams swapped five lead changes and neither team led by more than four points. Walker’s biggest lead was at 21-17 midway through the second quarter and at 30-26 late in the half. Riverside’s biggest lead was 24-21 following a Michael Poteat 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 run moments later. The Eagles used a 4-0 run over the final 2:03 to send the game to the intermission tied at 30.
Riverside managed to hang close despite getting no points from Dabney. But Isaac Teasley and Khalid Duke picked up the slack with 17 combined points.
Teasley finished with 12 points and Duke 9 for the game. Stevens had 8.
Omar Cooper had 14 points and Chris Newell 13 for Walker. But the Wolverines were just 16-of-30 from the line for the game.
Riverside next will take on the winner of the Mt. Pisgah/Eagles Landing Christian Academy in the Elite 8 next week.
