VIDEO: Bridgeton rallies, stuns Middle at OT buzzer

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The Middle Township High School boys basketball team’s six-game winning streak came to an abrupt halt when the final shot of Wednesday’s game fell through the rim as time expired.

A twisting, acrobatic shot attempt from the right side of the lane by Walt Williams bounced off the back of the rim twice before falling through the basket at the buzzer of overtime to lift Bridgeton to a 56-54 victory in a key Cape-Atlantic American Conference game.

Middle (9-3 overall, 7-1), which could have strengthened its hold on first place in the conference, now finds itself in a tie in the loss column with the Bulldogs (9-4, 6-1). The Panthers now must win at Bridgeton on Friday to remain in first place.

Bridgeton rallied from a 15-point deficit to win.

Leading 18-14 early in the second quarter, Middle reeled off 11 straight points to take a 29-14 lead and eventually led 31-18 at the half. 

But Bridgeton roared back with a 20-8 surge in the third quarter, pulling to within one at 39-38 when DeShaun Mosely scored at the buzzer.

The exciting fourth quarter featured seven lead changes and five ties, the last of which came at the expiration of time. After Bridgeton’s Dallas Carper tipped in his teammate’s miss with seven seconds to go, Middle’s Anthony Trombetta sent the game to overtime with a tip-in of his own just prior to the end of regulation.

In overtime, with the game tied at 54-54, Middle appeared poised to hold for the final shot but turned the ball over with 9.6 seconds to go. That set the stage for Williams’s winning shot as time expired.

Jamir McNeil led Middle with 14 points. Michael Zarfati added eight and Troy Billiris and Gavin Aftanis each chipped in seven.

Mosely scored 13 points and Angel Smith and Jabril Bowman each added 10 for Bridgeton.