The Rochester RazorSharks in the PBL championship series.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Jerice Crouch’s overtime buzzer-beating fade away jumper kept the Rochester RazorSharks’ championship hopes alive with a 112-110 victory over the Kentucky Mavericks on Sunday afternoon at the Blue Cross Arena.
By evening the series 1-1, the Sharks force the deciding Game 3 on Tuesday at 7 pm at the BCA. Rochester is seeking its fourth consecutive championship while Kentucky is striving for its first.
With the game tied and 13 seconds remaining in overtime, Crouch got the ball and let the clock run down for the final shot. He drove to his right and pulled up just past the elbow, fading away towards the corner and watched it swish through the hoop. The crowd went wild and the players stormed the court to jump all over Crouch.
There two worthy recipients of the John Betlem Heating and Cooling Player of the Game award: Corey Allmond and Jerice Crouch. The duo combined for a staggering 76 points. Allmond had 41 in his 45 minutes of play, while Crouch finished with 35 in his 42 minutes. Allmond hit 7 three-pointers and went 12-12 from the free throw line. He also added 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Towards the end of the game, he began to tire a bit, but that’s when Crouch caught fire and took control
In overtime alone, Crouch scored 12 of the Sharks’ 14 points. His 12 field goals was a season-high for Rochester, and his 35 points are a career high with the Sharks. He also added 5 assists.
Melvin Council had a great game for Rochester as well. He was the only other Shark in double digits with 10 points, and he also contributed 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Jordan Railey contributed 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals, and 2 assists. Sidney Holmes played a very good defensive game with 6 rebounds and a couple steals.
For Kentucky, Nick Waddell led the way with 27 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Stan Simpson added 19 points and 9 rebounds, as Gerald DeVaughn and Anthony Jackson also put up 15 and 12 points, respectively for the Mavs.