Pelham boys basketball comes back to take OT win over Coe-Brown in D2 quarters (video)

PELHAM - In a moment when the Pelham High School boys basketball team could have panicked, senior Justin Bowlan was there to keep the Pythons from doing everything but.

After Coe-Brown went on an 11-0 run that spanned the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth, Pelham was looking at a 10-point deficit with 6:34 left in its season.

The Pythons dug deep, started chipping away at the lead while holding the Bears in check, and once in overtime, No. 4 Pelham went to work at the free throw line, going 9 of 12 to complete the come back for a 66-60 win against No. 5 Coe-Brown in the Division II quarterfinals.

The win puts the Pythons, the two-time defending D2 champions, back in the semifinals where they will face top-seeded Pembroke, a 74-60 winner over Bow, at 7:30 p.m. at the Rochester Recreation Center.

"Their level of compete is second to none," Pelham coach Joe Morin, Sr., said of his team. "I can’t say enough about Justin Bowlan. He wills us to win. The whole time, he was talking in timeouts, and then gathering guys on the court.

"I rely on him almost like an assistant coach. What do you see? What do we need? He gives me his input. When it’s time to make plays, they find a way to make plays."

Bowlan had a tough night shooting from the field, but finished with eight points, including 6 of 10 at the free throw line, five of those makes in overtime.

"When it comes down to the big moments, we had to step up," Bowlan said. "I feel like I know the game very well and my teammates. Coach Joe lets me say what I think and I just try to help the guys as much as I can."

Luke Estell led the Pythons (16-4) with 20 points, including three 3-pointers and 5 of 6 shooting at the line, and Brady Hegan added 18 points, the last two on a dunk that put an exclamation point on the win.

That win looked as far away as could be in the not-too-distant past.

Pelham led throughout the first half but Coe-Brown (15-5) went in front for the first time following a quick 8-2 run to start the third quarter, with Matt Flanagan (20 points) scoring all eight points for the Bears.

The lead changed four times in the quarter and the game was tied four more times, but in the final 16 seconds, Jack Matson (14 points) scored four quick points to put Coe-Brown up 45-42 going into the fourth.

A 3-pointer and a jumper by Grant Hayes continued the run and two free throws from Ryan Kouchoukos gave the Bears their largest lead of the night, 52-42, with 6:34 left on the clock.

"It’s never going to be pretty with us," Morin said. "It’s just about heart. We had to find a way. We were getting pushed around a little bit and guys just finally (said) enough is enough. We’ve got to step forward and do the little things that we discussed. They came through and did it."

Pelham was able to cut the lead in half quickly and got it down to one after Hegan blocked a Coe-Brown shot, grabbed the loose ball and went coast-to-coast. The Bears were able to hang on to the lead, but were up just two points after Hayes made one of two free throws with 39.8 seconds left.

After a timeout, Bowlan scored with under 20 seconds to play to tie the game, and with no timeouts left, Coe-Brown tried to take the lead back right away. A shot by Flanagan bounced around the rim and Shawn Bodenrader (11 points) grabbed the rebound before Morin called a timeout with 5.1 seconds left.

Pelham was able to go the length of the floor, as Bowlan found Bodenrader cutting to the basket, but his layup bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded to send the game to overtime tied at 55.

"We knew this game was going to be four quarters and more," Bowlan said. "That’s what we do. We knew it was going to be a full game and we got together and said we’re not losing this game."

The Pythons opened up a three-point lead from the free throw line and it looked like the Bears would have a chance to tie when James McKane (11 points) was fouled as he scored in the paint. But officials waved off the basket, calling the foul on the floor, and McKane made both free throws to cut the Pelham lead to one.

Hayes scored on Coe-Brown's next possession to give the Bears a 59-58 lead, but Pelham closed the game by outscoring them 8-1 in the final minute, including 6 of 8 at the line.

"They had us by 10 there at one point and it wasn’t about Xs and Os," Morin said. "That’s what I mean about these guys. It’s just about heart. We didn’t want to fall into a thing where we’re trying to get 3s to get back into. Let’s keep running our stuff and we’ll get there."