Hendersonville guard Carleigh Short drives to the basket during the first half of Tuesday’s matchup with White House-Heritage.
White House Heritage guard Chris Rippy scored in the final seconds of overtime on Tuesday, lifting the Patriots to a 54-53 win over Hendersonville.
HENDERSONVILLE — The White House-Heritage boys basketball team received a much-needed boost of confidence of confidence from Tuesday’s game with Hendersonville
For the host Commandos, however, it was more of the same.
“We had our opportunities,” Hendersonville coach Kerry West said after his team’s 54-53 overtime defeat. “We took the lead twice late and somehow found a way to give it back.”
The Commandos (1-6), who’ve now dropped six straight since capturing a season-opening win over Westmoreland, claimed a one-point edge on a pair of Austin Kirby free throws with nine seconds left in overtime.
The lead didn’t last long, though, as Patriots guard Chris Rippy quickly spoiled things at the other end.
“I think we were just ready for a win,” said Rippy, who banked in the game-winning bucket with a little more than a second to play. “I was going to pass it off, but I saw the open lane and just took it up.”
“We didn’t get matched up great in transition off the free throw, and they made a tough shot,” West added. “It’s a tough one.”
Caleb Stephens and Bransom Kramm each tallied 16 points to lead the Patriots (2-6), who snapped a four-game losing streak. Nick Desmaris added 15 for Heritage, while Rippy finished with four.
“We’ve struggled with maturity and mental toughness, and tonight they decided they weren’t going to quit and weren’t going to let it bother them,” White House-Heritage coach Mike Petrone said. “It could have, but we hung in there and did what we had to do.”
Kirby finished with a game-high 22 points for Hendersonville, while teammate Preston Brown added 17.
“It was great to get it done,” said Rippy, one of several White House-Heritage football players to recently rejoin the team. “We’ve been on a losing streak these past few games, and I think this win will help us out the rest of the season.”
Hendersonville forward Peyton Sheehan drives during the first half of Tuesday’s matchup with White House-Heritage.
Hendersonville girls 59, WH-Heritage 25: The Lady Commandos ended their three-game losing streak.
Peyton Sheehan started the game 4-for-4 from the field for Hendersonville (4-3), which included a pair of first-quarter 3-pointers, to spot her team an early advantage.
That lead swelled to 29-12 after two quarters, and the visiting Lady Patriots (5-4) never recovered.
Carleigh Short finished with a game-high 13 points for Hendersonville and Brooke Long added 12 points.
Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.