Down 51-47 going into the fourth quarter, Wayne Christian attempted a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback against Wayne Country Day on Tuesday night.
But the Eagles came up short, and the result was a 71-68 loss on the Coastal Plains Independent Conference boys’ basketball scene.
The game appeared to be heading towards a blowout as the Chargers took control in the opening eight minutes and jumped ahead 21-11.
Wayne Country Day did stretch its lead to 24-11 early in the second quarter, but the Eagles settled down, weathered the storm, and regrouped in the second quarter.
Jayquan Curry hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the second quarter, and Wayne Christian trailed 38-35 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Chargers took a 50-42 lead midway through the period, but the Eagles hung on and were down 51-47 going into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter was a sprint to the finish line as Wayne Christian cut the Chargers’ lead down to one point three times in the fourth quarter, but every time the Eagles got close, the Chargers responded.
With 5.5 seconds left in the game, the Eagles had a chance to tie the game. Wayne Christian launched the potential game-tying three-pointer, but the shot missed, and Wayne Country Day held off the Eagles to secure the win.
Jaden Cooper led Wayne Country Day with a triple-double. Cooper scored 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Carlos Raven added a team-high 23 points and dished out six assists. Dre Ervin finished the game with a double-double. Ervin scored 12 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.
Curry led the Eagles with a game-high 25 points. Rayshawn Boston added 17 points, Shiquan Etheridge scored eight points.
Wayne Country Day (17-2 overall) hosts Wayne Preparatory Academy (5-3) tonight, while Wayne Christian (8-8) hosts John Paul II (5-6) on Friday.
