Boys Basketball: Young escapes North Lawndale at the buzzer

Updated: January 31, 2012 10:25PM

Sometimes all you need is a chance. That’s what Young got with 1.03 seconds left Tuesday afternoon.

Young’s fate seemed all but sealed when North Lawndale’s Antoine Smith sank the back end of a two-shot foul attempt with just over a second remaining to put the Phoenix up by a point.

The No. 22 Dolphins managed to advance the ball to the half line and call timeout. After the break, Nate Brooks inbounded the ball to 6-11 center Jahlil Okafor, who quickly caught and shot the game-winning basket as time expired to give Young the 48-47 win Tuesday night.

“The pass was a good as the shot,” Young coach Tyrone Slaughter said. “Nate is a senior and did his job like a senior should. The shot was a result of the great pass.”

Okafor said he and Brooks talked about the play before they broke the huddle.

“I just told him to get it high and I would go get it,” said Okafor, who finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. “He put it right on target.”

Miles Reynolds added 13 points for the Dolphins (11-7, 6-2).

“It was a great play but all that in .05 seconds, that’s a heck of a way to lose at home,” North Lawndale coach Lewis Thorpe said.

Smith led North Lawndale (14-6, 5-4) with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Keith Mack added seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds in defeat.

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