Being selfish, Plano’s Nathan Shead had to admit, felt pretty good.
The Reapers needed a win Friday night in their regular-season finale at archrival Sandwich to claim sole possession of the Interstate Eight Conference title. Lose and they would have to share, dropping into a tie for the top spot.
“I just wanted to get revenge,” Shead said.
He got it.
Shead scored a game-high 21 points and fellow senior guard Brandon Contreras had two big defensive plays in the final minute to help seal Plano’s 49-45 victory.
“Nate was what we needed him to be,” Reapers coach Kyle Kee said. “He was under control and making the right plays. He missed some early layups or he could have had a really special night. But every time there was a big shot, he hit it.”
Plano (21-6, 10-1) won a share of conference in 2012, but this is the Reapers’ first outright Interstate Eight title.
Contreras said he and Shead remember playing at Sandwich two years earlier and needing a win to take the sophomore title, only to lose it.
“Same locker room, same everything, and we lost and were crying after the game,” Contreras said. “We didn’t want to feel that way again. It means a lot not having to share it.”
Plano battled back from an 18-11 deficit — its largest of the game — after one quarter and led 44-42 late in the fourth quarter.
Jackson Smith, who led Sandwich with 20 points, then tied up a Plano dribbler and forced a jump ball with possession going to the Indians (16-11, 8-3).
But Contreras was at the ready, coming from behind on the baseline and tipping the ball away from a Sandwich player for a steal. Contreras was fouled with 47 seconds left and made two free throws to extend the lead to 46-42.
“(Contreras) has got a knack for getting that big steal for us,” Kee said.
After Contreras forced a traveling violation, Shead made two free throws with 16 seconds left. Smith cut it to 48-45 with a 3-pointer with nine seconds left and Contreras made the second of two free throws with seven seconds left for the wrap.
“We have a lot of scorers, so I try to focus mainly on defense because I know what it means to the team,” said Contreras, who ended up with 10 points.
Plano led 27-22 early in the third quarter when Sandwich sophomore Jimmy Braddish (13 points) made a 3-pointer. Moments later, Plano’s Jermaine Boyd was whistled for a technical foul that seemed to give Sandwich a lift.
“He’s so flamboyant and has such emotion, sometimes he can’t control himself,” Kee said of Boyd, a senior center who had five rebounds and three blocked shots. “And at 6-8, you can’t hide out there.
“His defensive ability inside is really amazing the way he gets back to block shots without fouling.”
Shead finished with six rebounds and two steals. Smith had seven rebounds, a steal and blocked shot.
“They just made a few plays late and that was the difference,” Sandwich coach Brennan Callahan said. “Jackson (Smith) and Shead were going shot for shot. You can’t beat the atmosphere. The capacity sign says 1,300, but I think there were 1,700.”
The showdown didn’t disappoint.
“It really hurts to lose it because we wanted that one so bad,” Smith said. “We haven’t had this many people in here to watch a basketball game in I don’t know how long.”
Twitter @RickArmstrong28
