Falcons win emotional overtime thriller over Merced

Heaven Mazon couldn’t remember a game filled with more emotion and it will certainly be a game she won’t soon forget.

The Atwater senior was in tears while teammate Brittany Massa was lying injured on the floor late in the third quarter as the game was stopped for 20 minutes until medical personnel could carry her off by stretcher.

The Falcons then had to regroup after squandering a 13-point lead as Merced closed the fourth quarter with a 14-1 run in the final 2 minutes and 29 seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime.

Somehow Atwater was able to overcome all the adversity to defeat the Bears 65-57 on Thursday night in the Nest to keep the Falcons’ playoff hopes alive.

“This was a test tonight to see how much we wanted it,” said Mazon, who finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds. “It was so emotional because of all the adversity we had to overcome. It makes this win probably the most memorable game in the all the years I’ve played.”

As if the game needed any more emotion, the night started with the team honoring Atwater assistant varsity coach Capri Abbasi’s mother Lillian Chavez, who is battling breast cancer.

The Falcons players, coaches and student section were all wearing pink shirts which read “Team Chavez” as part of pink-out night.

Atwater (16-8 overall, 4-5 Central California Conference) fed off the energy early as the Falcons jumped out to a 13-6 lead. Alondra Ponce scored four of those and finished with 19 points and 17 rebounds.

“It’s funny, when we have emotion we play better,” said Falcons coach J.R. Davis. “We play with more energy. We haven’t had that kind of energy in a long time.”

The Bears (16-10, 4-5) started ice cold and didn’t heat up until making the run late in regulation. Merced made just 6-of-30 shots from the floor in the first half.

“We couldn’t buy a bucket,” Merced coach Rob Pierce said. “We missed a number of layups. I think we rushed our shots. Their defense had us off-balance. They made us rush easy shots. I think we missed eight layups in the first half.”

The scary moment came late in the third quarter when Massa tried to take a charge against Merced’s Raelynn Blackwell on a fast break. Massa fell backward and her head hit the floor, which knocked her unconscious for 10-15 seconds according to the Atwater coaching staff.

Many of Massa’s teammates were in tears as they watched her lying on the court.

“I was crying,” Mazon said. “It was tough on me. I felt that should have be me. I was just jogging at that point. Maybe if I run back she doesn’t take that hit. It was a little easier after we saw her move.”

Massa gave a thumbs up as she was wheeled off the floor.

The Falcons looked like they had the game in hand with a 51-38 lead late in the fourth quarter. However, Merced made a late charge. With the help of Atwater turnovers and fouls the Bears were able to score 10 consecutive points in 39 seconds to cut the lead to 51-48.

After making just 5-of-16 free throws to start the game, Merced went 8-for-8 from the line during the run. Lexi Thompson scored 10 of her team-high 16 points during the fourth quarter.

Raelynn Blackwell scored the final four points for Merced, including the game-tying basket with 13 seconds remaining. Blackwell played a big role in the comeback with her defense and she finished with 14 points.

Symone Gilliam had a shot to win the game at the buzzer, but her shot in the lane glanced off the rim.

“Her shot scared the living everything out of me,” Mazon said. “I’ve never been more scared in my life.”

The Falcons scored the first four points in overtime after baskets by Eileen Martinez and Tatiana Steele to take a 56-52 lead.

Thompson answered with a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 56-55 with 1:42 remaining. But this time it was the Falcons closing out the overtime period with a 9-2 run to finish off the win.

“Two times we lost site of the girl we’re guarding in the middle and give up two easy layups in overtime,” Pierce said. “We give up those two easy baskets and I think that took the air out of us. You have to use so much energy fighting back. That’s when you have to play smart. Now you have to use your brain.”

The Falcons win combined with Turlock’s 45-37 loss to Golden Valley creates a three-way tie for third place and the final playoff spot in the conference heading into the final game. Atwater, Merced and Turlock all head into their rivalry games on Tuesday.

“I’m happy we won, but we’re not satisfied,” Mazon said. “We still have Buhach Colony left and we need a win.”

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 11:27 PM with the headline "Falcons win emotional overtime thriller over Merced."