With 3.8 seconds left on the clock the Washington boys’ basketball team needed to go the length of the court and score to tie or top Coastal Conference rival D.H. Conley but the Pam Pack’s inbounds pass strayed off target leaving the team with a heartbreaking 68-66 loss to the Vikings.
Washington (4-8 Coastal Conference) entered Friday night’s contest sitting in sixth place in the conference and one game behind D.H. Conley (6-6) in the standings. Needing a win to try to elevate to fifth place where a trip to the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs is guaranteed, Friday’s Senior Night showdown with D.H. Conley had big playoff implications.
With two games left in the regular season, the loss leaves Washington on the outside of the playoff bubble for now but head coach Steve Flowers refused to throw in the towel saying after the game, “We still got a chance.”
Washington left nothing to chance early on in the game as it stormed out to a 16-6 lead after the first quarter and a 34-22 advantage at halftime.
After the break D.H. Conley came out swinging as the trio of Griff Ahlers, Josh Cox and Jordan Williams helped the team outscore Washington 23-12 in the third quarter to enter the fourth quarter trailing only 46-45.
Williams scored 19 points to lead D.H. Conley as Cox added 18 each.
Jimmy Williams paced the Pam Pack with a game-high 20 and hit a key bucket at the end of the third to help Washington take that lead into the final quarter.
After Williams and Stevie Green (10 points) hit back-to-back buckets at the 5:27 mark Washington held a 54-47 lead and appeared to squash the Vikings’ comeback attempt. However, its momentum would not last long.
D.H. Conley would continue to rally and after a steal and bucket by Cox the game was locked at 60-60 with 1:28 remaining in the game.
Nearly a minute later the two teams were knotted at 66-66 after another Cox basket. With 34 seconds showing on the clock Williams raced down court for a layup attempt as Flowers attempted to call a timeout. Both attempts failed, and with 3.8 seconds left Keane Graham fouled Cox as he dribbled the ball up the court and put him on the foul line where he went 2-for-2 to put the Vikings up 68-66.
“As Jimmy’s going down the court I’m yelling ‘timeout, timeout’ and I couldn’t get it,” Flowers said.
With 3.8 seconds left in the game Washington had one last chance to tie or take the lead but the Pack’s inbounds pass was never completed as it sailed near the left sideline.
“It’s tough to get a good inbounds pass when you have to go the length of the floor,” Williams said. “I thought we had a good play drawn up we just didn’t have a good inbounds pass.”

D.H. Conley 75, Washington 25
The young Pam Pack’s struggles continued on Friday as D.H. Conley cruised to a 75-25 victory to hand Washington its fifth straight loss.
The Pam Pack (2-15, 2-10) stumbled out of the gate as the Vikings (12-8, 8-4) applied a staunch press that allowed them to close out the first quarter with a 16-3 lead.
In the second quarter things got worse for Washington as it went scoreless for the entire eight-minute period to got into halftime down 35-3.
“We just didn’t come out with any intensity and had a complete lack of focus tonight,” Washington coach Allison Jones said. “It was a tough loss. This late in the season you hope to have some people step up and it just didn’t happen tonight.”
The Pam Pack would finally break a near 12-minute scoring drought early in the second half but could never get back on its feet.
Sheema Blount led Washington with 15 points and Shona Midgette and Lacie Anglim each scored four.
Friday’s game was the final home game for seniors Rakira Ward, Datisha Redmond, Tekearah Spruill and Ketoura Wood.
The Vikings had four players reach double-digit scoring totals and were led by forward Kristina Howard who scored a game-high 14 points.

Girls game
D.H. Conley    16    19    19    21    –    75
Washington    3    0    10    12    –    25

Vikings (75)
Kristina Howard 14, Mitchell 6, Tichina Carmen 12, Lauren Porter 11, Maloney 9, Hobgood 6, Jelia McBeth 11, Hanson 9.
Pam Pack (25)
Midgette 4, Anglim 4, Sheema Blount 15, Smith 2, Wooden 1.

Boys game
D.H. Conley    6    16    23    23    –    68
Washington    18    16    12    20    –    66

Vikings (68)
Griff Ahlers 18, Josh Cox 18, Jordan Williams 19, McCarter 9, Suggs 4.
Pam Pack (66)
Keane Graham 14, Austin 7, Jimmy Williams 20, Jamal Moore 13, Stevie Green 10, Bell 2.