Salem falls in OT

Rams have chances, stage fourth-quarter rally, but Cherokee turns them away in overtime

By Riverview Sports News

MARLTON – Streaking Salem went into a tough Group IV environment Saturday with a chance to gain some major power points. The Rams gave a good enough effort to stay in the game. They took their hosts to overtime. But in the end they came up a little short.

Will Carr scored six of his game-high 18 points in overtime, including 4-for-4 from the free throw line, to help Cherokee turn back the Rams 48-45 and snap their five-game winning streak.

“I thought we played hard, I thought the effort was there, the attention to detail was there for the most part,” Rams coach Anthony Farmer said. “The key to the game was we turned the ball over too much.

“They went to a 1-3-1 and we had too many turnovers against it. We kind of gave them about six points out top just from run outs. I thought that was the difference in the game.”

The Rams (6-4) led early in the game, but it was tied at halftime and the Chiefs (8-4) pulled ahead in the third quarter. Two of their four losses have been by three points or less.

Salem forced overtime when Anthony Farmer scored on a driving layup with two seconds left and the Chiefs missed a shot at the buzzer. The Chiefs went on top early in overtime and the Rams didn’t recover.

Farmer and freshman Tymear Lecator led the Rams with 12 points apiece, but they didn’t have Farmer for much of the overtime. 

“We were a few plays away,” Coach Farmer said. “We definitely had opportunities, we had chances. This one hurts.”

CHEROKEE 48, SALEM 45
SALEM (6-4) – Anthony Farmer 5 2-3 12, Jabez DeJesus 4 0-0 10, Ramaji Bundy 1 1-2 3, Paul Weathers 2 1-2 6, Donovan Weathers 1 0-0 2, Tymear Lecator 5 0-0 12. Totals 18 4-7 45.
CHEROKEE (8-4) – Will Carr 5 8-9 18, Daniel Leonard 1 0-0 2, Brian Magee 2 0-0 4, Jordan Henriquez 2 0-0 4, Darwin Walker 0 1-2 1, Judd Holt 2 1-2 7, Louis Gallasso 5 0-0 12. Totals 17 10-23 48