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Taylor Slusher (12) and Tyler Carr battle for a loose ball.

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JV team beats Auburn 35-31

The boys’ jayvee basketball team blew a big lead and then came back to pull out a 35-31 win over Auburn at Floyd Friday, January 25. The Buffaloes had to overcome some severe obstacles, as well as the Eagles, who had beaten them at Auburn earlier in the month.
“Concerned doesn’t begin to describe it,” coach Chris Gautier said. “Our starting point guard (Jeffrey Burnette) was out sick, and we had two starters foul out with a lot of time left in the fourth quarter.
Floyd had opened the game with Brian Thomas getting a lay up off the opening tip. After Derrick Duncan tied the game with a lay in, Chandler Jones hit a pull up jumper.
Logan Shumaker got a free throw, the Cole Peters answered with a lay in, Jones made two free throws, and Jarrod Lusk got a bank shot for a 10-3 lead.
Henry Martilla got a jumper for Auburn, then Tyler Carr hit a three for the Buffs. After a Shumaker free throw, Taylor Slusher got a free throw with three seconds left to put Floyd up 14-6.
Neither team shot well in the second quarter. Carr got a fast break lay up at 4:32 and Zach Martin made a free throw at 2:55 for the only points in a 2-1 second quarter that left Floyd ahead 16-7 at the half.
Lusk opened the third with a basket that put Floyd up by 11. Ryan Scott scored on a steal and Blaine Matherly hit a three to cut the lead to six.
Peters made a free throw and Shumaker answered with one for the Eagles. Peters got another free throw and Duncan scored on an inbounds play for Auburn.
After another free throw by Peters, Martilla hit from the baseline and Duncan hit a three to cut the lead to one. Lusk drove the court for a basket with five seconds left that made it 23-20.
Auburn opened the fourth with a jumper by Duncan and Matherly made two foul shots off a technical to put Auburn ahead by one. Lusk made two of four free throws to put Floyd up by one.
Michael Welker’s lay in put Auburn up by one and a Carr free throw tied the game. Duncan got an Eagle free throw, then Slusher beat the press for a basket that made it 28-27 at 2:11.
A Chris Cox free throw tied the game for the last time. Lusk and Slusher each made one of two free throws.
Then came what may have been the play of the game. Thomas took the inbounds pass in back court, then fired a home run pass down court to Lusk who got the lay up at 1:02 for a 32-28 lead.
“I don’t know how he made that pass,” Gautier said. “I don’t know how he even saw him.”
Carr added another free throw with 33 seconds left for a five point lead. The Eagles worked the ball to Jacob Underwood, who hit a long three with 12 seconds left to cut the lead to two.
Thomas was fouled with nine seconds left and made both free throws to clinch the victory.
Auburn: Matherly 5, Shumaker 3, Underwood 3, Duncan 10, Welker 2, Martilla 4, Cox 1, Scott 2, martin 1
Floyd: Peters 5, Jones 4, Lusk 11, Thomas 4, Carr 7, Slusher 4