‘It was just meant to be’: Stranahan returns to 5A title game with putback buzzer-beater
From the right corner across from Stranahan’s bench at the RP Funding Center, Darrin Garrett and his teammates tried to work their way to the basket for a game-winning shot in the Class 5A boys’ basketball semifinals. He paced and prowled, knowing his coach only had one assignment for him: If a shot hit off the rim, go get the ball.
“The play was just go,” Edward Shuler said. “Just get the ball up. Everybody just follow it.”
With the Mighty Dragons trailing Pensacola Pine Forest by one, the inbound pass went to Tamarrien Thorpe in the left corner with 9.4 seconds left and he passed the ball to Houston Culpepper, who was the one to finally go to the rim. The wing’s running hook shot was nowhere close, which was fine. Stranahan knew it was just as likely to get a good look on their second chance. It’s why Garrett, who only played 12 minutes and hadn’t scored, was on the court.
The 6-foot-4 forward tracked the bounce and then a deflection, and wound up with the ball near the right elbow as the clock ticked away. He had no time to think. It was the perfect setup for the unlikely hero of Stranahan’s 61-60 win Thursday in Lakeland.
“I’m just going off what the coaches tell me to do: crash the boards,” Garrett said. “That was all I was thinking about when the shot went up.”
He caught the ball, threw it right back up and fell to his back. He didn’t even see the shot go in, he said. Instead, he listened to the buzzer sound and heard the roar of the crowd, then looked up at the scoreboard to see he had given the Dragons (26-3) two more points as time expired.
He hopped off his feet, rose both hands into the air and sprinted down to the opposite basket while his teammates gave chase. He slapped the backboard and stopped when he crossed the baseline to let the mob envelop him. Stranahan is headed back to the 5A championship and will face St. Petersburg on Saturday at 3 p.m. with a chance to win a third state title in four years.
A little while later, Hykeem Williams came to a realization.
“Wait,” the forward said, “that was your only bucket? That’s amazing, dog.”
He then pointed out something fitting about this victory.
“All season, all he preaches is, Let the play come to you,” Williams said, gesturing to Shuler. “Now knowing that’s his only bucket, he let the play come to him.”
This philosophy was at the root of the Dragons’ entire comeback. Stranahan trailed 28-19 early in the second half and battled its way back by grabbing eight offensive rebounds in the third quarter and five in the fourth. Williams alone had eight in the second half — he finished with 10 and 15 total — and scored seven of his 11 points off second chances.
With a little more than five minutes left, Williams scored on a putback to cut the Eagles’ lead down to 45-44 with and-one. After he missed the free throw, Culpepper grabbed another offensive rebound and the Dragons finally took their first lead of the second half when guard Jaquan Adams scored inside.
Stranahan built its lead up to 59-53 with 1:22 left before Pine Forest (23-7) stormed back again with a 7-0 run to go ahead 60-59 with with 19.8 seconds left when Eagles guard Ozell Purifoy went 1 of 2 at the free-throw line.
The Dragons had at least one shot left. They figured they’d get multiple.
“Sometimes, it looked like they were just trying to throw it up and get the rebound,” Pine Forest coach Ty McCants said.
Culpepper, who finished with 12 points and six rebounds, took the first crack. The senior drove down the right side of the lane into traffic and Eagles wing Omarayan Turner swatted his attempt out of bounds. Stranahan took a timeout to get everyone ready for the final play.
The play started with Thorpe, who led the Dragons with 14 points, only it was never going to finish with him, his teammates figured. Either he or Culpepper would try to get downhill and then there would be chaos, which is when Stranahan thrives.
On one block, Williams two defenders stuck to him like magnets. On the other, Culpepper desperately tried to follow his shot and did just enough to keep the ball away from Pine Forest.
While it all happened, Garrett whirled from the corner up to the wing and finally into the paint where he was in the right place at the right time.
“Somehow, it flew all the way to Darrin,” Williams said. “I was like, Thank you, Jesus, go up.”
Somehow, it was just how the Dragons drew it up.
“It was just meant to be,” Williams said.
This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 5:35 PM.
