By H. Brock Page
DURHAM: Riverside Sophomore T.J. Warren swished a buzzer-beating three-
pointer to lift the Pirates to a 62-59 win over Enloe in the NCHSAA 4-A
East Sectional Finals Friday night.
Enloe's Emanuel Chapman banked in a three-pointer from beyond the top
of the key to tie the score at 59 with 24 seconds left. Riverside did not
call timeout but ran its regular offense against the Eagles' tight man-to-
man defense. Warren's game-winning shot off a pass came from several feet
behind the three-point arc. The buzzer sounded before Enloe could inbounds
the ball.
"I knew it was going in, it felt real good," Warren said after being
swarmed by jubilant Riverside teammates and students. "It was a last-
second thing. We panicked and then they got the ball to me and I let it
go."
Warren, the son of former Enloe star Tony Warren, led the Pirates with 17 points while Sean Deniton added 13.
Riverside, (25-3), will play in the Eastern Regional semifinals
next Friday night at Minges Coliseum in Greenville.
Enloe (22-5) was led by Melvin Tabb's 17 points while Chapman added
13.
Riverside, in a 2-3 zone most of the game, built a 27-20 lead late in
the second period but the Eagles scored eight straight points to take a 28-
27 lead at halftime. Riverside built another seven-point lead midway
through the third period, but the Eagles surged again to cut the lead to
one point, 42-41, at the end of the third period.
In the final period, Riverside's David Mayer nailed a three-pointer
to tie the score at 45 apiece with 5:28 remaining. Chapman canned a three-
pointer to give Enloe its final lead of the game at 49-48, but Riverside
answered right back with a Tim Raven jumper to take a lead that held until
Chapman's three-pointer tied the score at 59 apiece.
Riverside head coach Tim Ross was confident that his players could
handle the pressure situation in the closing seconds.
"I am so proud of our kids," Ross said. "We needed a night like
this. We didn't want Enloe to set up their defense. We got a wide open
look and that is what T.J. can do. We were going with the flow."
