Share A double-double from Panthers big man Ernest Udeh Jr., and strong scoring outings for Riley Kugel and Denzel Aberdeen helped Dr. Phillips hold off a rallying Olympia team.
In Class 7A, District 3 also known as the District of Death nothing is ever a given. Dr. Phillips almost learned this the hard way as they held on in overtime to beat Olympia 51-43 to move the Panthers into first place in the district.
After leading for almost the entirety of the game, Dr. Phillips (15-3, 4-1) saw its 25-12 lead coming out of the first half dwindle drastically as Olympia rallied late in the fourth quarter. The Titans (16-5, 5-2) chipped away at the Panthers in the last two minutes of the game with Tyeree Bryan and Jacari White knocking down back-to-back shots from deep, before Edgerrin “Jizzle” James hit two clutch free throws with two seconds left to knot the game up at 41-41 sending the game to overtime.