Sharks answer buzzer beater with blowout

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One of the toughest ways to lose in sports is at the last second because of the finality of it and the fact that a team does not have any time left to answer.

Unfortunately for the Ponte Vedra High boys basketball team they experienced that during a 50-49 defeat to Fletcher High in the Shark Tank on Jan. 10.

It was a narrow game throughout with the Sharks clinging to a 41-39 lead heading into the fourth quarter, and it remained close as both squads went back and forth in the final frame.

David Sanchez Barrera was clutch down the stretch as the senior drilled a three-pointer to give the Sharks a 49-48 lead and brought the home crowd to their feet with 11 seconds remaining in the contest.

The Sharks’ defense was looking to bow up in the final seconds and it got to where the Senators only 1.1 seconds to complete an inbound pass and get a shot off for a last shot.

However, the Senators did just that as McCarthy Crenshaw caught the inbound pass and quickly through up a hook shot that went through the net as the buzzer sounded to foil the heroics the Sharks had mustered just seconds before.

The Sharks scored double figures in the first three quarter of the game but were unable to find a similar offensive output in the fourth quarter, as they went roughly six minutes without scoring which allowed the game to remain close instead of the Sharks building upon their lead.

Junior Maddox Palmer was the only Shark to finish in double figures scoring with 13 points followed by a nine-point effort by Ryan Speace who shot 80% from the field on the night.

The loss was the Sharks’ third in a row, but the next day they ended that streak with a dominant 62-29 victory over Raines High in a game hosted by Bishop Snyder High on Jan. 11.

Palmer reached double figures once again with a team-high 18 points, but this time was joined by fellow junior Trace Westercamp who also tallied 18.

Meanwhile, senior Alex Katsiskas buried four three-pointers in the contest contributing to all 12 of his points.

Although Speace only had three points against the Vikings he made his presence felt in a different way with six assists.

The Sharks learned from the game the day before, scoring double figures in each quarter, including saving the best for last with 22 points in the fourth quarter as they really turned it on and grew their lead.