Sixth-seeded Old Lyme appeared to be on their way to an expected victory last night over Lyman Memorial (seeded 27) at half-time when the score stood at 35-22. Things were still on track at the end of the third quarter when the Wildcats had advanced to a comfortable 45-32 lead.
And then it all fell apart in the fourth quarter when Lyman outscored the ‘Cats 23-10 to force a completely unanticipated and nerve-wracking overtime at 55-55.
Kirk Kaczor’s boys fought back in overtime ably assisted by senior George Doll, who had sat on the bench until the final minutes of the fourth quarter due to an injury. Doll scored five critical points in overtime, which helped Old Lyme finally claim a 67-60 victory.
Drake Gavin was top scorer for Old Lyme with 19 points, while Matt Watts St-Germain added 16.
Old Lyme now faces No. 11 Coginchaug tomorrow evening at Lyme-Old Lyme High School with a 7 p.m. tip-off. Despite their lower ranking, Coginchaug defeated the Wildcats in the regular season so the game promises to be intense.
Go Wildcats!