Streakin' Devils: Hampton's late free throws sink Cambridge

ZANESVILLE — For two teams that entered Saturday with eight combined wins, Cambridge and Zanesville have sure been in plenty of close games.

The Blue Devils lost 11 of their first 12 but rarely have been noncompetitive. They entered their annual clash with the old rival Bobcats winners of three straight with eyes firmly on the postseason.

Cambridge entered having lost three of four, but none were blowouts. Five of their losses have been decided by less than 10 points.

It was only fitting that another nailbiter was in the works.

With the game tied in the final 20 seconds with time ticking away, Rashaud Hampton was fouled on a 3-pointer and hit two free throws with 2.8 seconds left, as Zanesville pulled out a 46-44 win at Winland Memorial Gymnasium.

Cambridge got the rebound after Hampton missed the third free throw, but it was out of timeouts and was forced to rush a shot from just beyond halfcourt. Garrett Carpenter's heave hit off the front rim, sending a scare into every Blue Devil in attendance.

"It was going to be in his hands and I trust him to make something happen," Zanesville coach Cedric Harris said of Hampton.

Zanesville (5-11) returns to Licking County League play on Tuesday against Lakewood. Another league clash with Licking Heights awaits on Friday.

"Obviously, it feels like you lost because you have to work on some stuff, but at the same time these are the games we were losing," Harris said. "We've got a little bit of hope and God on our side a little bit. If you're going to lose, you're going to lose to a Hail Mary shot like that. It was close."

Hampton continued his torrid streak of play in the second half of the season, scoring a game-high 18 points, including two difficult baskets in traffic in the fourth quarter.

Cambridge, which hit 4-of-6 3s in the fourth quarter, got its final one from Regan Rogers in transition to tie the game at 42 with 2:29 left. Zanesville responded with Xavier Riley's 15-foot fade-away with 2:12 left, and the Blue Devils had a chance to extend the lead after the Bobcats were called for traveling. But they missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and Cambridge grabbed the rebound with less than a minute left.

After a timeout, slippery guard Jesiah Barnett penetrated and stuck back his own miss with 50 seconds left, tying the game at 44. The Blue Devils effectively ran the clock down for the final shot.

With the Bobcats trapping in the halfcourt trying to force a turnover, Hampton took a pass and got the ball near the top of the key, where he elevated over a defender to draw the foul.

Harris wanted the ball in his hands, given his ability to create for himself and others.

"The last four weeks he has been spot on for us — big shot after big shot, and good takes," Harris said. "And a lot of those takes he's getting bumped and not getting foul calls."

The ending was one all too familiar for the Bobcats, who have lost their share of fourth-quarter struggles.

"We've been right there on the cusp of pulling out a victory, and it's a play here or a play there, a loose ball there, or a team throwing in a shot here," Cambridge coach Kyle Pertuset said. "We just haven't been able to do it. But I'd say collectively that is the best we've played against any of our opponents."

The Bobcats were 10-of-24 from the field with only two turnovers in the second half, while they held Zanesville to only 3-of-11 shooting in the third quarter. That helped erase a 27-17 deficit early in the half, as Davion Bahr's three-point play triggered a 15-5 run. Coby Moore's third 3-pointer tied the game at 32 to start the fourth.

Zanesville was 6-of-9 in the final quarter, however, and one of the misses resulted in a putback. They had another stick back from Maddox Hayes off a missed free throw.

Riley added eight points with six rebounds and Mikey Johnson and Drew Doyle seven for Zanesville, which had only six turnovers. Doyle also had five rebounds and six assists, as the Blue Devils finished 18-of-42 from the field — just 4-of-16 on 3s.

"Zanesville is a good team, regardless of what their record shows," Pertuset said. "They play a strong schedule. So I am pleased with the kids' effort. If we can get to where we are playing 32 minutes of basketball with that defensive drive and desperation for four quarters, instead of two, or a quarter-and-half or three, then we'll break through. We'll be alright."

Balanced Cambridge (4-15) got 11 points from Moore and 10 from Bahr and Barnett, while Carpenter had two 3s among his eight markers. The Bobcats finished 8-of-16 on 3s and 17-of-40 overall, but they yielded 10 points off turnovers.

As Zanesville's efficiency and late-game play has improved, so have the results. Saturday was its 12th game decided by 10 points or less, and its 11th decided by five or less.

"I think it took a while for us to learn about each other's strengths and weaknesses," Johnson said. "We've played well as the season has gone on."

Harris said the team has been coachable and unselfish, even during the lean times. Saturday marked their first four-game winning streak since 2018, the last time it reached the district finals.

With the Division II East District tournament draw set for Sunday, Tuesday's game against the Lancers takes on even more importance. Cambridge is in the same drawing, but is off until a home game on Friday with Marietta.

Both teams figure to be a difficult out. Pertuset said he wouldn't want to play either team if he were a higher seed.

"I like the way we are playing," Pertuset said. "Obviously, we need to find a win, because a close loss in the tournament and you get to go home. We've got three more cracks at it."

Zanesville took the reserve game, 51-31. David Evans had nine points and Jordan Cooley eight for the Blue Imps; Mason Gregg tallied nine for Cambridge.

sblackbu@gannett.com; Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Streakin' Devils: Hampton's late free throws sink Cambridge