Consol made 17 free throws in the fourth quarter and took the lead with less than two minutes left. Senior point guard Jaylen Harrison led the charge on the foul line, going 9 for 12 during the final period and finishing with 37 points.
Consol’s four other trips to the free-throw line in the fourth quarter proved successful, as the Tigers went 8 for 8. But head coach Andrew Daily said Harrison spearheaded the rally as the Tigers took advantage of the Rangers’ mistakes.
“His attacking ability helped us soften the inside, and that’s one thing we made sure we took advantage of,” Daily said.
The Tigers (12-7, 2-0) edged closer to the Rangers with a free throw and layup by Harrison to kick off the fourth quarter, but Rudder answered with two baskets to take a 58-50 lead.
Three consecutive foul calls on Rudder helped Consol inch within two points with 6:08 left. Harrison then made two straight baskets to put the Tigers ahead for the first time.
Although it seemed like the momentum had shifted, the teams went back-and-forth and played through four ties.
Baskets by Harrison and Nate Floyd with less than a minute left helped Consol seal the victory.
“We’re very proud of the way they fought back and they kept their composure throughout the process of the game,” Daily said. “We were down the majority of the game, and we weathered the storm. Those are games that we need, adverse games where we have to learn how to battle back and stay true.”
Like Consol in the fourth, Rudder used the free-throw line to control the third quarter. Rudder’s Jeremiah Johnson led the charge, going 6 for 7. MJ Heard, Justin Headge and Grayson Adams chipped in as the Rangers went 11 for 13 during the period. Johnson finished with 27 points, while Adams had 16.
Carlos Moreno hit a 3-pointer during the third to give the Rangers a 50-36 lead, but Consol closed the gap with an 8-0 run. Free throws by Johnson and Heard gave Rudder an extra push, before Consol’s Harrison closed out the third quarter with a layup that left Rudder in front 55-46.
The Rangers (6-16, 0-2) came out strong, taking a 12-4 lead halfway through the first quarter with Moreno hitting a 3-pointer during the run. With the crowd fired up, Rudder added three more baskets to go into the second quarter up 18-11.
Rudder started to get into foul trouble in the second period and allowed Consol to get within five points with 3:24 left. But with a 7-0 run in the beginning of the quarter and a pair of free throws to end the period, the Rangers remained ahead 37-25 at halftime.
Daily said he expects the next meeting with Rudder to be even more competitive with an added emphasis on starting the game well.
“So it’s the coaches and I coming together again and making sure we get the kids back to the drawing board and understanding the importance of coming out with an intense mindset from the beginning of the game,” Daily said.
Consol will continue 19-5A play at 6:30 p.m. Friday against College Station at home, while Rudder will travel to face Brenham at 7 p.m.
A&M Consolidated 73, Rudder 70
CONSOL (12-7, 2-0) — Jaylen Harrison 37, Nate Floyd 15, Corey Walker 8, Tim Bradford 5, Reece Peel 3, Anaih Daily 2, Nathan Edwards 2, Bruce Smith 1.
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