Boys Basketball: Crane comes way back to top Vocational

Updated: February 8, 2012 9:47PM

Usually a first-round home game in the Public League playoffs is a done deal. But instead Vocational got done in by visiting Crane who pulled out a thrilling 65-60 victory Wednesday.

Crane played most of the game without all-city guard Willie Conner who was all set to miss his fourth consecutive game with a high ankle sprain.

The young Cougars fell apart with Connor not on the floor and the Cavaliers wasted no time building a 28-6 lead behind their own all-city guard Robert Hurd, who drained three consecutive three-pointers during the run that eventually led to a 37-16 halftime lead in favor of Vocational.

The third quarter looked like it was going to be more of the same but with six minutes left, Crane coach Chris Head inserted Conner into the game. The tide immediately began to shift as the third quarter ended with the Cougars trailed 49-35.

In the fourth quarter Crane put the pedal to the medal.

Starting with a jumper by sophomore Issaiah Hayes which triggered a 19-5 run that ended with a runner in the lane by Hayes to put the score at 54-all with 3:16 remaining.

Another 8-2 spurt put the Cougars up 62-56 on two free throws by Hayes.

A couple of careless fouls gave Vocational some life with Hurd sinking four straight free throws to cut the lead to 63-60 with nine seconds but Connor iced the game with two free throws with four seconds remaining.

“I told them that I didn’t know how much I could do, but we were going to win this game or go down together,” said Conner.

Hayes led Crane with 18 points. Chris Dailey finished with 17 points and eight rebounds while Courtney Thomas had 10 points and Connor finished with seven.

“I was not going to play him at all but how can you tell a senior playing what could have been his last Public League game ‘no,’” Head said.

“This was the worse loss I have ever been part of everything we did in the first half went out the window in the second,” Vocational coach Chris Pickett said.

Hurd led all scorers with 23 points while Dantrell Freeman had 16 and Mike Taylor scored 13.

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