Down to the wire: Nate Perry's jumper with 4 seconds left lifts Flagler Palm Coast over Matanzas

The Bulldogs won 60-58 in a game that had 13 lead changes.

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Nate Perry hit a lot of big shots in the Matanzas gym when he played basketball for the Pirates last season. But none were bigger than the shot he hit on Friday, Dec. 12, to give Flagler Palm Coast a 60-58 victory over his former team.

The senior guard hit a turnaround jumper with four seconds remaining in front of a packed house.

“I felt confident about it,” Perry said. “As soon as it left my hands, I knew it was going in.”

Pirates sophomore Curtis Giles missed a long desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“We tried to give Curtis Giles a big shot at the end, but we had to take it in from full-court, and the ball just didn’t go in,” Matanzas coach Eric Guerrero said. “That's basketball sometimes. But I'm proud of my boys. They competed.” 

The fans were treated to a back-and-forth game with neither team leading by more than four points in the second half. The score was tied nine times, and the lead changed hands 13 times.

“We knew it was going to be a close game,” Perry said. “We were undisciplined in the first half, and we came out in the second half and we were disciplined.”

The largest lead by either team was six points when Jayden McCoy hit a 3-pointer to give the Pirates a 15-9 advantage with 2:14 left in the first quarter. But that lead quickly disappeared as Nateshawn Royal’s 3-pointer put the Bulldogs back on top at 16-15 early in the second quarter.

“They made plays,” FPC coach Greg Shirley said of the Pirates. “This is one of those kind of games that could have gone either way, and, fortunately for us, we made one more play than they did.”

Matanzas junior Jez McCoy, playing in just his second game of the season, tied the score at 58-58 with a driving layup with 37 seconds to go. FPC called timeout with 12.5 seconds remaining. On the bench, Shirley drew up a final play that had options.

“They took away our top option — Anthony Hampton going down the middle,” Shirley said. “But it isolated Nate Perry, so they couldn't help, and he made a big-time shot. Big-time players make big-time shots.”

Royal led all scorers with a career-high 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for a double-double. The senior guard hit three 3-pointers in the first half and converted two critical free throws with 1:10 remaining to give the Bulldogs a 58-56 lead.

Perry scored 15 points, going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Hampton added 11 points. After getting fouled on a 3-point shot, he hit all three free throws to put FPC up 50-46 with 4:17 left.

“I love my guys,” Shirley said. “We still have a lot of ways we can improve, but this will be a positive measure.”

Giles led Matanzas with 18 points. The guard sank five 3-pointers, including three in the fourth quarter. The Pirates’ other sophomore starters, Jayden McCoy and Jamel Guerrero, scored 11 and eight points, respectively. Jez McCoy added 9 points.

FPC improved to 5-4. Matanzas lost its fourth straight to fall to 2-4. But Eric Guerrero said his young squad took a huge step forward by fighting to the final buzzer.

“I felt like they grew a lot today,” he said. “I told them we just got to compete. We got a few players who could make tough plays, and they stepped up tonight in big moments.”

Shirley said the game was fitting for the rivalry.

 

This was a game between two rival schools. The players all know each other. It was a great environment, great energy. I wish the players could have this kind of atmosphere for every game.
— GREG SHIRLEY, FPC boys basketball coach

“This was a game between two rival schools. The players all know each other,” Shirley said. “It was a great environment, great energy. I wish the players could have this kind of atmosphere for every game. 

“Let’s give Matanzas a lot of credit, too,” he added. “They have some young players who are going to be good. They’re good now. They're a very dangerous team. I have a ton of respect for Eric as a person and as a coach.”

 

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