West Side finally hits some free throws to upset E.C. Central

GARY | West Side spent a lot of time at the free-throw line Thursday night.

For much of the four quarters, the rim was a thimble, and the orange sphere was a medicine ball. And it was real bad medicine.

The Cougars at one stretch were 12-of-26 from the line.

"The more we practice, the worst we get," Cougars coach Winston Garland said.

But with 8.4 seconds left in a showdown against Times No. 8 E.C. Central, Rashaad Armstrong stepped to the line and his team up only two points.

Armstrong hit nothing but net as West Side snapped a three-game losing streak against the Cards and survived 64-60.

"We all knew this was a big game," Armstrong said. "We haven't beaten them in a while. This is our house. I knew I had to make them."

Armstrong led the Cougars (5-6) with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Regan Atkins and Denzel Casson each scored 13 in the win.

"I woke up that way this morning; this is it," Garland said of the season heading down the home stretch and a big-time rival and sectional opponent coming to his gym.

"This is a huge win for our kids. This is the home stretch. We've got to keep it going and finish the regular season off on a positive note."

West Side's 2-3 and 3-2 zone in the second half made getting shots very difficult for the Cards (8-6), E.C. coach Abe Brown said. And the Cougars outrebounded the Cardinals almost 2-to-1.

Hyron Edwards led the Cards with 20 points. Everette Coleman scored 12, and Joshua Ochoa chipped in 10 in the loss.

"This was a great game, a great game. It had a March atmosphere," Abe Brown said. "Our guys got a feel for their court and the March atmosphere here. They rebounded the hell out of the ball. We gave up way too many second-chance points.

"But we get to play here again in March, and we'll be here."

The win snapped a two-game losing streak by the Cougars and stopped a three-game winning streak for the Cards.

West Side led by seven with three minutes left in the game, but the Cards battled back with a basket by Coleman and three points by Edwards.

But West Side's "Bigs," Atkins and Armstrong, were too much in the paint. Atkins scored seven of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.

"We picked up our energy in the second half," said Atkins, whose team was tied with E.C. at 22 at the break. "We got the ball inside to our bigs, and it's easy to make around the basket.

"This game is huge for us. They're a sectional team. We want them to know the sectionals will not be easy."