Shaw Raiders fall to Americus-Sumter in tournament semifinals

In Thursday's back-and-forth contest between Shaw and Americus-Sumter, it was only fitting that the final shot decide the game.

With the Panthers leading 58-55, Shaw's Devan Porter-Wilson got the ball after a last-second in-bound. Porter-Wilson quickly launched the ball across court, keeping the hope of overtime alive as the ball sailed.

The ball clanked off the rim as the crowd let out a collective groan, leaving the Raiders with a three-point loss.

Unforced errors proved costly for Shaw. The Raiders entered the fourth quarter leading 46-40 after being in control since late in the first quarter. They were then outscored in the final quarter 18-9.

"We turned it over a few times," Shaw head coach Terry White said. "Of course, in a close ballgame you're not going to be able to do that. We just didn't get too many shots there at the end."

Lincoln Smith was a catalyst for the Raiders' early success. Even after the Raiders lost their lead with five minutes to go in regulation, smith continued producing to leave a comeback still possible.

Smith finished with a team-high 17 points.

Shaw is not done in the tournament yet, as the Raiders will play the loser from Thursday night's game between Carver and Westover.

White said he would stress to his team how important Friday's showdown would be.

"We have to regroup, come back tomorrow and try to get a better seeding in the state playoff," White said.

This story was originally published February 9, 2017 at 8:21 PM with the headline "Shaw Raiders fall to Americus-Sumter in tournament semifinals."