In postgame celebrations, Green Hope senior Nitin Reddy is carried off the court on the shoulders of his teammates after scoring a three-pointer in his first varsity game Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. Nitin, team manager and school spirit leader, played the final two minutes in Green Hope's win over Cary on senior night.
CARY -- Even if it weren't for a 3-pointer in the final minute, Green Hope's boys basketball team had put together a powerful performance on its senior night. With the all-seniors starting lineup long since removed the game, head coach John Green looked down the end of his bench and put in Nitin Reddy.
Reddy is no ordinary senior.
He's been a manager for the team these past four seasons, playing in just one junior varsity game last year. He also has autism-like special needs.
But in his first - and possibly final - varsity game, Reddy fired up six 3-pointers in his 1:42 of playing time. His fourth bounced off the front rim, almost touched the shot clock, and fell straight through the net - sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
He was one of eight seniors to score as Green Hope routed Cary 61-34 in Tri-Nine Conference action on Tuesday.
"I thought it wasn't going to go in," said Reddy, who was carried off the court on the shoulders of his teammates after the postgame handshakes. "But after it hit the rim, it did."
Reddy's shot lands about 2:50 into the clip below. (This article continues after the video.)
Reddy's shot was the exclamation point on a night that started and ended with Green Hope's seniors.
Senior guards Bradley Saacks and Ches Edwards - usually some of the first players off the bench - got the starting nod for the Falcons and set the tone early, as did senior forward Alex Conwell.
Conwell scored all 10 of his points in the first two quarters as Green Hope was out to a 23-12 lead.
"I knew that I had to step up. Having the fans there, having my whole family there, it was a night that I had to perform well," Conwell said.
In the second half, Chris Flemmings (10 points), Saacks (9), Edwards (7), John Hardin (4), Keith Walsh (2) and Ty Hamby (2) all entered the scoring book as the Falcons grew their lead to 20. But as Flemmings noted, this was one of the team's best defensive efforts. The Falcons had 12 steals.
"We were talking (on defense) a lot more," Flemming said. "There are some nights when we don't talk, and it's bad defense. But when we talk, we're all on the same page."
It was a special senior night for this class, most of whom played for head coach John Green on junior varsity for two seasons. After their sophomore year, Green became the head coach, so the Falcons boast continuity that few area teams can match.
"It's rare that it happens that way. To see them in middle school and see what I'm getting as a JV coach and then now I've seen them go from a freshman to seniors - I'm just thrilled with how the guys have developed," Green said. "I told them before the game how important they've been to the program."
Green said he was confident Reddy would be able to hit one shot. Last year, he made one from 30 feet away in a junior varsity game.
"The top of the key is his money shot. He wasn't able to get it - he got it towards the wing and shot some pretty deep shots. But eventually they were going to fall because he's a good shooter," Green said. "When it went in, it was pandemonium. Everybody went nuts, which is one of the highlights of the year."
Cary, which scored just four points in the third quarter, found out soon after the game that it would need to win the Tri-Nine Conference tournament to make the state playoffs. Holly Springs' 50-43 defeat of Middle Creek ensured that Cary cannot finish fifth.
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The Holly Springs High girls softball team and the Middle Creek baseball team will begin best-of-three series on Friday in the N.C. High School Athletic Association championships.
With five minutes to play in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2-A soccer championship, Carrboro senior midfielder Kylie Tawney started to get a sinking feeling. Her mind raced back to last years title game, when the Jaguars lost to Waxhaw Cuthbertson on penalty kicks after 110 minutes of play.
Holly Springs seniors Jenna Firestein and Kristen Krebs knew Saturdays contest against Fayetteville Jack Britt would be their final home game as members of the Golden Hawks softball team.
Green Hopes perfect season is snatched away by Charlotte Hough in the final 12 minutes of the state final at N.C. States Dail Soccer Field in a 2-1 finish.
Itll be do-or-die for Middle Creeks baseball team on Saturday night, but at least itll be in a comfortable location. The 4A East best-of-3 series will shift back to the Mustangs home after Richmond County came away with a 6-2 victory to even the series on Friday.
The Holly Springs Golden Hawks softball team has had an exciting past week of playing close games. On Friday, however, the Hawks fourth close game in a week ended in a 3-2 loss to Britt, as the Buccaneers rallied with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the score and then won in the eighth to even the series at one game apiece.
The Green Hope High girls soccer team is ranked No. 1 in the country, but wont reach its goal unless it beats Hough in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A championships on Saturday.
Follow the game on our Twitter account, @prepsnow or get a Twitter feed at our high school blog, Preps Now.
Video Green Hope manager sinks 3-point shot during game (05:9)
See video of Green Hope senior Nitin Reddy, manager for the school's basketball team, as he gets into the game on senior night and scores a 3-pointer. Video by J. Mike Blake, The Cary News