The Bumblebees just couldn’t overcome the Bobcats’ experience down the stretch.
In a game that was tied with 2 minutes remaining, seniors Bo Ross, Jeremy Bettis and Charles Glover made the key plays to lift Hempstead over Academy 54-46 in a Class 2A boys basketball bi-district playoff game Tuesday night.
“Hempstead always seems to start games fast,” Bees coach Alex Remschel said. “The kids continued to battle and make plays and gave ourselves an opportunity. I have a bunch of young guys who played against a senior-laden team and they fought them toe-to-toe for the last three quarters.”
Academy, the District 25-2A runner-up, finished its season with a 19-12 record. Hempstead (22-11) advanced to face Weimar in the area round later this week.
Bees guard Kyler Kelton tied the game at 46 with a free throw with 2:01 left in the fourth quarter, the first tie of the game. Hempstead reserve Ross then hit a baseline jump shot to give the Bobcats a 48-46 lead.
After drawing a foul with 1:18 left, Kelton missed the front end of a 1-and-1 free-throw situation and the Bobcats regained possession.
Then Hempstead worked the ball around until Bettis’ jumper gave the Bobcats a 50-46 lead with 57 seconds to go.
On the next possession, Academy guard Connor McAtee’s jumper came up short and Ross grabbed the rebound before making two free throws for a 52-46 lead.
Finally, the Bees were whistled for a 3-second violation and Glover hit both free throws to end Academy’s season.
“Our guys did what they needed to do at the end,” Hempstead coach Bobby Spain said. “They stepped up. I was a little bit worried there for a while because Academy has a good team.”
Glover single-handedly put the Bees in an early hole.
A 5-11 guard, he hit three 3-pointers in the first 61 seconds to give the Bobcats a 9-0 lead before Academy had even attempted a shot.
He scored 15 of his game-high 23 points in the first quarter as Hempstead jumped out to a 23-12 lead.
When asked to characterize Glover’s opening outburst, Spain replied, “Awesome. He’s been sitting on the bench for the last two weeks trying to get his head right. We’ve been talking and trying to get him right and he came out tonight ready to play.”
While the Bees were prepared to stop 6-10 Hempstead center John Wolfe from dominating inside, Academy decided to switch to a box-and-1 defense to slow down Glover after his fiery start.
McAtee drew the assignment of guarding Glover and held him to two shot attempts - both made 3-pointers - and the final two free throws after that.
With Glover shut down and Wolfe on the bench after he committed his fourth foul with 3:34 left in the third quarter and the Bobcats leading 37-27, Academy chipped away at the lead.
“We started looking to attack the basket more because he’s (Wolfe) such a big obstacle inside,” Remschel said.
Corbett McMillan scored six of Academy’s first eight points in the fourth to pull within 46-42. Kelton’s 3-pointer and made free throw eventually tied the game at 46 before Hempstead made the key plays to get the win.
Even in defeat, the Bees have plenty to look forward to next season. Academy will return eight of 12 players and its entire starting lineup, and Remschel believes Tuesday’s loss will be a learning lesson for next season.
“This is great for them,” he said. “I haven’t had a group of kids at Academy that when the cards are stacked against them didn’t step up to the challenge. Our kids put a lot of time and effort into the offseason. This is huge for such a young team and it just bodes well for next year.”
cmeister@temple-telegram.com
