Boys Basketball: West Side rallies, ruins John Boyd’s return in double OT

Updated: December 10, 2011 11:42PM

GARY — It was more than just the normal pregame routine for Michigan City coach John Boyd on Saturday night. Before his team’s nonconference game with West Side, there were friends and former co-workers coming to the Wolves sideline to welcome back the man who was their conquering hero nine seasons ago.

And Boyd’s homecoming stay turned out to be an extended one. The game went double overtime before West Side, the school Boyd coached to a state title in 2003, came from behind to beat Michigan City 68-66, thanks to an offensive rebound putback by Rashad Armstrong with seven seconds left in the game.

Late in the third quarter, it didn’t look like dramatics would be neccesary. Thanks to balanced scoring and defense that smothered West Side, Michigan City held a 42-27 lead with 2:21 left. But the Cougars made a fourth-quarter comeback, led by Regan Atkins, who kept his team in the game in the first half, scoring the first eight Cougars points and 10 in the first quarter.

The Cougars tied the game at 51 late in regulation on two free throws by Denzel Casson before Michigan City upped the lead to 54-51. But Arnold Wilson knocked home a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 54. It was his first field goal of the game.

The game was tied at 66 late in the second overtime when a West Side jumper missed, but Armstrong got the rebound to the left of the basket and put it back in to ruin Boyd’s return.

West Side picked up its third straight win thanks to Atkins’ 24 points, while Armstrong, who only scored three points in the first half, finished with 21. For Michigan City, playing its fourth straight road game with another one coming up Tuesday night against Merrillville, Taylor Lavery had a team-high 16 points, while Richard Mitchell, Keenan Simmons, and Jabbar Washington added 11 each.

The loss ended the Wolves’ winning streak at two.

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