Sports Contact: J.T. Wilcox, Sports Information Director
E-mail: JWilcox@ASA.edu
Twitter/Instagram: @ASASilverStorm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 3, 2018
HIALEAH, FL – Watching a 20-point lead evaporate is never fun – it's actually downright maddening – but watching one of your freshmen knock down a game-winning free throw, can be a reason to smile.
After leading 71-51 with just under 10 minutes left in the second half, ASA Miami saw that lead dwindle down and eventually become an 85-85 tie in the final minute before freshman Levard Missick Jr. was able to knock down a game-winning free throw and lift the Silver Storm to an 86-85 win over visiting T-Mac Advance Postgraduate Prep Academy Monday night at The Dent.
After Advance Prep tied the game at 85 with 1:19 left, the teams alternated turning the ball over on the ensuing four possessions. The final Panthers turnover was a bad pass that ASA's Matt Maturah was able to get a hand on and throw ahead to a streaking Marquise Jones. It looked as though Jones had a clear path to the basket but he was chased down and fouled by an Advance Prep defender, sending him crashing to the floor with 11 seconds remaining.
Jones took an awkward fall, injuring his ankle, and was unable to shoot the free throws. Per college rules, the Panthers were then able to pick a different player to shoot in Jones' place – and they chose Missick.
Missick stepped to the line and sank the first shot to put the Silver Storm up one, but saw the second one bounce off the rim. Advance Prep rebounded the errant free throw and got the ball down the court for a desperation heave but it didn't find the basket – sealing ASA's victory.
Silver Storm head coach Jean Dubuisson said he was confident when he saw that Advance Prep chose Missick Jr. to shoot the free throws.
"When I saw that they picked him to shoot, I told him 'they just tried you, they don't think you can make these free throws – go prove them wrong.'," Dubuisson said. "I wasn't really worried when [Levard] stepped to the line. He was able to knock down the first one, missed the second, but he did enough for us to come away with a win tonight."
While Missick Jr. played the role of hero Monday, the more glaring issue was the fact that the Silver Storm squandered away such a sizeable lead over the final 10 minutes and put themselves in a position to potentially lose the game. ASA Miami turned the ball over 20 times Monday and lost the rebound battle by an alarming 61-32 margin.
The Silver Storm led 46-32 at halftime and essentially sparred back and forth with Advance Prep through the first seven minutes of the second half – leading 59-48 with 13:13 left in the game – before going on a 12-3 run to push their lead out to 20.
Instead of keeping control of the game, ASA allowed Advance Prep to methodically worked its way back into the game.
"I think we got caught up in the fact that we were up by 20 and we stopped doing the little things that allowed us to build that lead," Dubuisson said about his team losing its lead. "Credit Advance Prep for battling and working their way back in, but we have to do a better job of remaining focused for a whole 40 minutes."
Sebastian Jean lead the team in multiple categories Monday. "Sebby" finished with 15 points (7-for-10 from the free throw line), eight rebounds and six assists (to just one turnover) in 32 minutes of work. Since being moved up from the developmental squad, Jean has averaged 10.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game and proved himself to be a steady force as the team's main point guard.
Jaryn McCann added 14 points for the Silver Storm, Maturah added 13 points – including a big three-pointer that was one of ASA's few positive plays during Advance Prep's run – and Jonathan Vilchez added 10 points off the bench.
The Panthers had a pair of players notch double-doubles Monday, led by Dee Bracy's 22 points, 20 rebounds (11 offensive), and three blocks.
Up Next: The Silver Storm will complete their four-game homestand Tuesday with a 6 p.m. tilt against Eastern Florida State College.