HighSchool OT

FINAL: East Wake survives in OT

By Derek Medlin
Dec 28, 2012

Final -- East Wake 67, Cary Academy 60: The Chargers ran out of steam in overtime, and East Wake was able to survive with a 69-61 win.

East Wake's Kianna Wynn started the overtime with four straight points, which matched the overtime output by Cary Academy. East Wake cranked up its full-court press and gave the Chargers fits, disallowing them to create more opportunities for Mickayla Sanders. 

Wynn finished with 21 points, including five in overtime, to lead East Wake to victory. The Warriors finished the Holiday Invitational 1-2, while host Cary Academy went winless.

Fourth Quarter -- East Wake 56, Cary Academy 56: Mickayla Sanders drained a 3-pointer with six seconds left on the clock to tie the game and send it into overtime. She capped a six-point swing for the Chargers in the final 1:30 of regulation.

East Wake had the game in hand but couldn't put it away at the free-throw line, missing three of its four attempts in the final minute.

Before Sanders' game-tying 3-pointer, which brought her daily total to 28 points, East Wake hadn't trailed since midway through the second quarter. The Warriors have been the better team all day, but the Chargers have the momentum heading into overtime.

Third Quarter -- East Wake 41, Cary Academy 36: East Wake continues to hold a slight lead over Cary Academy as we reach the final quarter of play. The Warriors used eight fast-break points to stave off the Chargers' comeback, four of which came off steals and coast-to-coast layups by Tianna Knuckles. 

Knuckles had eight points in the third quarter to bring her total to 13 for the day. After a big first half, Kianna Wynn was limited to two points and a rebound in the third quarter.

Sanders tallied seven more points to give her 19 for the game. She, along with 10 rebounds from forward Cassy Stafford, have kept Cary Academy afloat and in striking distance for the final quarter.

Halftime -- East Wake 30, Cary Academy 25: The Warriors closed the half on a 7-1 run to take a five-point lead into the locker room. East Wake controlled the glass throughout the second quarter, scoring four second-chance points (to give them eight points on extra opportunities for the day) and limiting the Chargers to one look on the other end.

Cary Academy's Mickayla Sanders has 12 points today, giving her the Holiday Invitational tournament scoring record, with 76 and counting. Sanders has played a well-rounded game against East Wake, grabbing a couple rebounds and dishing out three assists. Two of those assists have gone to Rebekah Banks, who has nine points and four rebounds on the day.

Sanders has actually been outdone by East Wake's Kianna Wynn throughout a half of play. Wynn has 14 points and six rebounds to lead the Warriors' charge to a halftime lead. 

First Quarter -- Cary Academy 16, East Wake 16: It's all tied after a quarter of play between Cary Academy and East Wake. In the early going, it's been a see-saw affair. The Chargers took control of the first four minutes of the quarter, but the Warriors began to take control in the back half of the quarter. A 4-0 surge led by Cary Academy standout Mickayla Sanders in the final minute brought the game to an even score.

Sanders has six points and two assists so far. Five different players have scored for East Wake to fuel a balanced attack.

PRE-GAME: After two disappointing days, Cary Academy and East Wake will be looking to close out the 2012 HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational with a win Friday in the 7th place game of the Mix 101.5 Girls Bracket. 

Both teams have played well in spurts during the first two days of play, but the Chargers and Warriors have also been plagued by inconsistency. East Wake, for example, was up 20 in the third quarter against Rocky Mount Thursday before losing in overtime. Cary Academy was within striking distance against Hillside on day one, but couldn't overcome turnovers and foul trouble against the Hornets. 

Despite the losses, both teams feature players that could find their way onto the Mix 101.5 Girls Bracket All-Tournament Team. Cary Academy's Mickayla Sanders scored 39 points on day one and 25 on day two, and East Wake forward Tianna Knuckles has been consistently good for the Warriors.