No. 5 Bryan Station (21-5) pulled off an incredible 16-point comeback to beat Henry Clay (18-6) 55-54.
“It was a perfect ending to a great high school game,” Bryan Station Head Coach Champ Ligon said. “Good crowd, bands here, both teams are top level and played their hearts out.”
The stakes were high for this 42nd District clash. Henry Clay came into the game having won seven out of its last eight games, including a critical 83-72 victory against No. 3 Frederick Douglass (20-3).
The Blue Devils were looking to make a statement against another top-five team, while Bryan Station was looking to solidify its ranking going into the district tournament in two weeks.
Henry Clay jumped out to a 18-14 first quarter lead. The Defenders struggled defensively and had several turnovers. Henry Clay’s senior guards AJ Dixon and Kayson Brown hit two huge threes in the quarter to help the Blue Devils build on their lead. Bryan Station’s junior forward Taeshawn Adams pulled down his 400th career rebound.
In the second quarter, momentum went back-and-forth. Bryan Station took the lead midway through the quarter with a 10-5 run. Bryan Station’s lead quickly diminished as Henry Clay answered back with a 9-0 run of its own. The Blue Devils maintained their lead through the rest of the quarter and took a 31-26 lead into the half.
Henry Clay continued to silence the Bryan Station crowd by dominating the third quarter. The third quarter ended with the Devils on top 50-37 and they were led by junior shooting guard Jackson Stephan, who had eight points. The Henry Clay crowd, well represented and energetic, let the home team know the game was theirs for the taking.
The Devils’ extended their lead to sixteen points, but Bryan Station was not ready to admit defeat just yet. A long 3-pointer from senior guard Rashaad Faulkner was followed by a steal, leading to an easy lay-up from senior guard Justin Richmond and the lead was now 52-42 Henry Clay.
“I kept telling them, just hang in there. Keep playing, we’ll get back in the game,” Ligon said.
As the Defender student body came alive, its excitement carried into its team’s play. Bryan Station exploded, going on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 52-52. Henry Clay Head Coach Daniel Brown took a timeout and looked to settle his team.
With one-minute left to go, Stephan gave the lead back to the Blue Devils on two free throws, forcing Bryan Station to use its last timeout. The Defenders found Antowone Burton under the basket, but he was well defended. He found Faulkner open on the right wing for a 3-pointer, and the senior nailed it with seven seconds remaining.
“I was thinking, if I get this it’s going in. When I shot, I knew it was going in,” Fulkner said.
After a desperate attempt fell short, the Northside supporters sprinted onto the court to celebrate with their team.
Amari Owens led Bryan Station with 17 points. The Defenders are on the road for their next game against Grant County (9–15) on Tuesday Feb. 18.
Henry Clay was led by Brown and Dixon, who both scored 14 points. The Blue Devils will play Sayre (12-10) at home on Monday, Feb. 17th. The two teams are set for a rematch at the 42nd District Semifinals in two weeks.
