CLINTON – Brookhaven Academy’s first round matchup with AAArunner-up Bayou Academy featured a little of everything in A.W.Wood Coliseum. It included fine three point shooting, furiouscomebacks, buzzer beaters, and in the end a 71-69 Monday nightovertime victory for Brookhaven.

With their play in the first half the Cougars from Brookhavenappeared as though they would cruise to an easy victory. Brookhavenlooked a little too loose and sloppy in the first quarter butthanks to the inspired play of junior guard Craig Smith, who had 8points in the period, the Cougars held a 15-10 lead.

In the second period Brookhaven junior guard Jimmy Latham burstthe Bayou zone defense wide open when he knocked down three 3pointers in a row. Senior center Paul Coker knocked down a jumperto beat the halftime buzzer and give Brookhaven a 38-24-halftimelead. The Cougars first half was highlighted by 7 first half threesand 16 points by Smith.

Brookhaven controlled the third quarter much like it controlledthe two before it. It looked like the Cougar victory was all butwrapped up but no one told the Colts of Bayou Academy that the gamewas over.

Trailing 54-37 at the beginning of the 4th quarter the Coltsslowly but surely crawled back into the game. Craig Adams nailed abig 3 to pull Bayou within 5 points, 60-55, with 1:11 left inregulation. With only 9 seconds left, Adams hit 2 big free throwsto cut the BA lead to 61-58.

Brookhaven, who as a team struggled from the free throw line allnight, couldn’t add to the lead when Smith missed two freethrows.

Bayou inbounded the ball with 7 seconds to go, junior guardScott Hays drove the length of the floor and hit a long three tobeat the buzzer and send the game into overtime.

Bayou rode their wave of momentum to a quick two-point lead inthe 4-minute overtime. Smith brought Brookhaven back, hitting twobig 3s in the period. Smith’s second trey was huge as it tied thegame at 69-all with 1:39 to go in overtime.

Brookhaven would get the ball back with the score still tied at69 and hold it for the last shot. With 7 seconds left Coker took apass at the top of the key, faked a handoff to point guard LayneMorton, and drove around a good screen by Chase Magee. The ballleft Coker’s hand and found the net not even a full second beforethe buzzer sounded.

” I was proud of the grit that our boys showed when they gotdown in overtime and still came back to win,” said Cougar coachDale Watts.

Smith and Coker led Brookhaven with 25 and 20 pointsrespectively. Jimmy Latham finished with 11 points, Magee added 12,and Alex Davis chipped in 3 points. Coker also pulled down 8 pointsand blocked 8 shots.

Hays, with 23, led Bayou, which finished their year 21-13.Brookhaven moves on to face the AAAA champion Madison-RidgelandPatriots Wednesday night at 6:30.

The Lady Cougars (33-3) play Wednesday at 5, versus the winnerof the Pillow-Lee (Ark.) game.