Central boys make comeback, fall to Auburn in overtime

The Central Red Devils successfully chipped away Auburn's fourth-quarter lead Friday. Auburn, however, had too much in the tank for overtime.

The area-champion Red Devils couldn't close out the Tigers in an 80-76 defeat. The loss overshadowed a strong finish to the fourth by Central, which trailed 60-53 with just under five minutes to go.

Central stayed neck and neck with Auburn in overtime until one minute remaining, when Justin Brooks' shot from the field gave Auburn a 76-71 lead. Central answered with Donald Jackson's layup to make it a three-point game, but Brooks’ next bucket made it 78-73 with 32 seconds to go.

Justyn Ross delivered an authoritative dunk and drew a foul 12 seconds later, creating a 78-76 contest. Brooks again gave Auburn another 2 points, delivering this dagger with 18 seconds to go.

Central's final possession couldn't save their chances, as an errant shot was brought down by Auburn’s Luke Terry. The Tigers soon bled the clock to seal the victory.

The Red Devils' threats to close the gap finally proved worth worry for Auburn when Devonta Mathews' free throws with 55 seconds remaining left the Tigers' lead at 68-66. After an Auburn free throw, Adrian Jackson had the possession of the game, coming down with two rebounds then drawing a foul on a successful shot.

Jackson hit the free throw, tying the game 69-69 with 34 seconds remaining. Central had one more shot to end the game after an Auburn charge, but the Red Devils lost control of the ball, leading to the extra session.

Jackson led Central with 26 points in the loss. He was followed by Ross, who had 13.

The boys showdown followed a girls game that was nothing short of a beatdown, with Central losing 55-33. The victory clinched the area for the Lady Tigers.

After being tied 24-24 at halftime, Auburn absolutely dominated Central in the third quarter, jumping out on a 10-0 run that set the pace for the rest of the period. The Lady Red Devils struggled to get out of their own way as Auburn rolled to the tune of a 21-2 run in the quarter.

This story was originally published January 26, 2018 at 10:59 PM with the headline "Central boys make comeback, fall to Auburn in overtime."