PULASKI, Tenn. – Javonte Cooper swished home a leaner as time expired to lift the Martin Methodist Men's Basketball team to an 88-87 victory versus Oakwood (Ala.) in the season opener Tuesday night in the Curry Christian Life Center.
Cooper, who finished with just six points, picked the perfect opportunity to score his final points of the night for the RedHawks (1-0).
After Oakwood connected on a fadeaway 3-pointer with six seconds left in regulation to go ahead by one, the RedHawks burned their final timeout and set the stage for a last-second rally.
The inbound pass was flipped in down the left flank and that's when Cooper broke free in the middle of the court, corralled a pass, and knifed his way down the lane for a leaner from the right side.
The shot not only gave the RedHawks the victory but also sent an impressive opening-night crowd into a frenzy.
The win was the first for RedHawks head coach Dugan Lyne, who had spent the previous six years as the program's Associate Head Coach.
The win also came in spite of the RedHawks shooting less than 50 percent at the foul line. For the contest, the RedHawks finished 16-of-35 from the line. Their opponents did not fare much better, luckily, as they connected on just 21-of-37 free throw attempts.
"I was just thrilled with the way our guys kept fighting and scrapping and clawing," Lyne said. "We had some things that did not go our way, but our guys just kept moving forward and fighting. That was really nice to see in the first game of the year. We certainly did not play our best, but getting a win in front of the home fans is always great. We thank everyone for the support and look forward to improving as the season continues."
On a team with 10 newcomers, three first-year RedHawks did the heavy lifting in Tuesday's victory.
Senior guard Rayford Albright led the scoring with 17 points in his RedHawk debut. Adrian Smith added 14 and Isaiah Blacksmith added 11 off the bench for the RedHawks.
As a team, the RedHawks handed out 13 assists and committed just 11 turnovers.
Defensively, the forced the Ambassadors (1-1) into 20 turnovers. TJ Culberson led the visitors with 21 points.
The RedHawks return to action this Saturday, Nov. 3, when they head to Lebanon, Tennessee for a showdown at Cumberland (Tenn.).
Tipoff in Saturday's matchup is set for 2 p.m.
