KINGSPORT — Dante Oliver must be stronger than his thin, 180-pound frame suggests, because the 6-foot-6 senior loaded his teammates on his shoulders Monday night and carried them back to the state basketball tournament.
Oh, Oliver had help, but it was basically all him when it mattered most and Dobyns-Bennett dug its way out of a 15-point hole to beat William Blount 64-63 in a TSSAA Class 4A sectional.
Oliver completed his dazzling display by swishing 2 of 2 free throws with no time on the clock, sending the Tribe Athletic Complex crowd into a frenzy. He was fouled on a drive to the bucket as the final seconds evaporated.
D-B’s Dante Oliver takes a foul shot during Monday’s sectional game against William Blount at the Tribe Athletic Complex.
Dakota Hamilton
Oliver finished with 31 points, including 29 in the second half when he knocked down 6 of 6 shots from beyond the arc as if it were child’s play.
“All week I was working on my shot and I never quit believing in myself,” Oliver said. “I’ve worked for this moment my whole life.”
After a week off, the Indians (23-10) now get the chance to defend the Class 4A championship they won a year ago.
The eight-team state tournament at Middle Tennessee State begins March 14.
“Let’s go!” veteran Tribe coach Chris Poore said.
William Blount saw its outstanding 30-win season end with its sixth defeat.
STAYING ALIVE
Oliver, an East Tennessee State signee, had a rather miserable first half, missing all four of his 3-point shots while committing four turnovers. Meanwhile, D-B was getting beat in transition by the polished Governors and trailed 32-17 with a little more than three minutes left in the second quarter.
If not for back-to-back 3s from junior Charlie McHugh — plus a fabulous steal he produced that led to a Brady Stump transition bucket at the buzzer — D-B’s 34-27 deficit at intermission would have been much more.
“With this team here I don’t know if we’re out of a game,” Poore said. “I’ve learned to play comfortable from behind, and these guys have done a phenomenal job all year and I’m proud of them.”
The Tribe trailed 37-29 early in the third quarter when Oliver flipped the switch.
GET OUT OF HIS WAY
Oliver began taking it to another level with back-to-back 3s to quickly cut Blount’s lead to 37-35. The Governors responded, however, and moved back out to a 45-36 edge before Oliver hit two more 3s to make it a 45-42 game.
Blount still led by one entering the fourth quarter before Jonavan Gillespie turned in a four-point play with a 3-point jumper from the corner and subsequent free throw, good for a 50-47 D-B advantage.
Oliver hit two more 3s and scored on a tough drive in traffic to up D-B’s lead to 60-56, but the Govs recovered and led 61-60 with 1:24 to play.
The Tribe crashed the offensive glass to get four shots on its next, extended possession, taking a 62-61 edge on a sweet reverse layup from 6-6 sophomore Major Dawson with 13.8 seconds remaining.
Grady Robertson was fouled on Blount’s next possession and he made both free throws, giving the Govs a 63-62 lead with 7.4 on the clock.
Oliver then finished the job, taking Robertson off the dribble from the top of the key area and getting fouled on a dash to the hoop with the clock expiring.
“Oh my goodness,” Poore said. “Well, he wasn’t super flowing early and it was kind of tough for him. But he got into a rhythm and he was something special. He made the plays. How hard were those free throws?”
OTHER NUMBERS
Gillespie finished with 11 points to back Oliver, and McHugh and Stump combined for 17 points. McHugh hit three of D-B’s 11 treys.
Caden Windle scored 17 points to pace Blount. Reece Price added 14 and Robertson 10.
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