Cook's 75-foot buzzer-beater saves day as Washington Twp. tops Cherokee in 2 OT
The game plan always calls for Spencer Cook to take the last shot. Just not from 75 feet.
The game plan always calls for Spencer Cook to take the last shot.
Just not from 75 feet.
But there was Cook, Washington Township's splendid senior guard, launching a shot from well beyond half-court with his team trailing Cherokee, 44-41, as time was expiring in overtime of Thursday night's instant classic.
Cook's shot banked off the backboard and fell through as the buzzer sounded, popping the cork on a wild scene as Washington Township players charged the court and the clock inexplicably went dark.
Washington Township rode the momentum to a 6-0 advantage in the second overtime for a 50-44 victory in an Olympic American clash of Top 5 teams.
"It was amazing," Cook said after Washington Township (21-3 overall, 6-1 in the Olympic American), the No. 4 team in The Inquirer's Top 25, clinched a share of the division title.
Cook scored 14 and senior center A.J. Michaels added 11, including four in the second overtime, for Washington Township, which can win the division crown outright with a win over Lenape next Thursday.
Senior guard Kevin Brown played 40 minutes and scored 12 points and junior forward Steve Gervasi added 10 points with seven rebounds for No. 5 Cherokee (18-5, 5-2).
"Kevin Brown was unbelievable," Cherokee coach Eric Cassidy. "I'm not sure I've ever seen a kid play better defense than he played on Spencer Cook."
Cassidy said he told his players after the game that Cook's buzzer-beater was better in the regular season than in the state tournament.
"Could you imagine if that happened in March?" Cassidy said. "Imagine losing a game like that in the playoffs?
"Maybe this will get the bad karma out."
The teams are on opposite sides of the South Jersey Group 4 playoff bracket, with Washington Township as the No. 1 seed and Cherokee as the No. 2.
Cook praised Brown's defense and noted that the Cherokee athlete didn't deny him the ball at the end of the second overtime, for perhaps the only time in the game.
"I got it and took a dribble and just let it go," Cook said. "I wanted to shoot it hard enough because I didn't want it to be short."
Cook's remarkable shot came after Cherokee's Tyler Tobin hit two free throws for a 44-41 lead with 0:02 on the clock.
Washington Township's Justin Ortiz inbounded the ball to Cook, who took one dribble and let the shot go from in front of the Cherokee bench.
Washington Twp. 5 12 9 12 6 6 - 50
Cherokee 6 6 12 14 6 0 - 44
WT: Spencer Cook 14, Justin Ortiz 9, Mekhi Greene 2, Nick McGough 5, A.J. Michaels 11, Rich Racobaldo 3, Na'Quan McPherson 4.
C: Steve Gervasi 10, Marcus Lewis-Marshall 8, Kevin Brown 12, Tyler Tobin 8, Zach Rowe 4, Anthony DiCaro 2.
Contact Phil Anastasia at panastasia@phillynews.com
