Zach Lewis single-handedly led top seed Fishburne Military School back from a 14-point deficit in the final two minutes of regulation, but Northfield Mount Hermon recovered in overtime to post a 92-86 win in the quarterfinals of the National Prep Championship in New Haven, Conn., on Tuesday.
“We played hard until the end. Things just didn’t come out in our favor. But we fought all the way,” said forward Walter Foster, a Towson signee.
Lewis, a native of nearby Windsor, Conn., hit four three-pointers and a runner in the lane to score 14 points in the final 1:34 to lead FMS (27-7) on a 16-2 run that tied the game at 75-75 with 19 seconds left.
Northfield Mount Hermon had the ball for the last shot after the fourth Lewis three, but Kuran Iverson, a native of Hartford, Conn., and a Memphis signee, stole the ball and was fouled with seven seconds left. Iverson, a 56 percent free-throw shooter on the season, missed both charity tosses to send the game to overtime.
NMH took control in the extra session to advance to the national semifinals on Wednesday against Notre Dame Prep.
“We had a chance to win at the end of regulation. Things just didn’t go our way. That happens sometimes. But I’m proud of the way our guys fought. They fought hard, didn’t give up, and I’m proud of them,” Fishburne coach Ed Huckaby said.
Lewis, who will play at Canisius next year, led FMS with 38 points.
Fishburne’s season ends a day short of the team’s goal to win the program’s first national title.
“This is the way we’ve played all year. We didn’t look at the scoreboard. The guys just had confidence in themselves to continue to fight, and the threes started falling, and we started making plays,” assistant coach Derrick Robinson said.
More online at www.FishburnePGBasketball.org.
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