Millbrook boys basketball
In addition to his 19 points Dec. 8, Millbrook senior Danny Mizerk (left) hit two three-pointers in the final 90 seconds of regulation to help the Wildcats take Northern Durham into overtime. Millbrook eventually knocked off the Knights 83-78, improving to 5-1 this season.
Wildcats escape with win over Knights in overtime
Mizerk drops in 19 points, including five treys after halftime
If this was a trashy New York tabloid, we'd probably run the headline "Danny Mizerk goes Berserk" with our game story highlighting the Millbrook boys basketball team's 83-78 overtime win over Northern Durham Tuesday night.
While we steered clear of the berserk title, it doesn't mean Mizerk's second-half performance, which included 19 points and five three-pointers, wasn't headline worthy.
The senior guard delivered time and again in the second half and overtime for the Wildcats, hitting a handful of momentum-changing shots, including two in the final 90 seconds of regulation, forcing the extra session.
From there, teammates Jarrick Brown — who scored a team-high 20 points — and Donzell Hill helped close out the Knights, and Errick Davis sealed the game with a steal and lay-up late.
But it was Mizerk who got the Wildcats rolling when they needed a push.
Click here for highlights from Millbrook's overtime win against Northern Durham Dec. 8.
"Danny was huge for us tonight," said Millbrook head coach Scott McInnes. "It was good to see him get going. And not only did he shoot well, but he is getting better and better defensively, so he's going to see more minutes."
McInnes explained the senior's performance comes on the heels of an excellent two-game stretch for Mizerk last week in Wilmington, including a 26-point contest against New Hanover Dec. 5.
With the victory, the Wildcats improve to 5-1 this season heading into Friday night's Cap-7 Conference opener at Broughton. While Millbrook might have just one blemish to its record, McInnes warned the Wildcats must play better on defense in the future, or face the consequences.
The Wildcats' defense was especially lackluster to start the third and fourth quarters as the Knights built sizable leads. In fact, Northern Durham abused Millbrook for 14 points in the first three minutes of the fourth.
"Our defense was really lacking tonight, and if we don't get that straightened out soon, we are going to be in trouble," McInnes said. "Until our guys start to believe in what we are doing defensively, it's going to be tough on us in conference when we start facing physical teams."
And it's not just conference games the Wildcats will struggle in until they tighten down defensively.
Millbrook was fortunate to push the Knights into overtime because Northern Durham received two foul shots with four seconds remaining in regulation. But the Knights' shooter rolled out the first and shorted the second, giving Millbrook new life.
Given a second chance, the Wildcats responded in overtime as Hill dropped in a quick lay-up, and Mizerk answered a Northern Durham trey with one of his own. Brown later nailed the second of two free throws, and Davis came up with the big turnover and lay-up, essentially ending the game.
Counted on for his consistency, Brown didn't disappoint in the late stages of the game, converting seven of eight second-half free-throw attempts to help ice the game. "Jarrick was clutch for us from the line tonight," McInnes said.
Hill finished with 17 points, Tyrrel Tate added eight, and Rashawn Vaughan had six.
Millbrook's Shi'Chee Moore (5) pushes the ball upcourt against Northern Durham Dec. 8.
Northern Durham's Jalen Davidson finished with a game-high 21 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter and overtime period.
Early in the non-conference game, the Wildcats appeared headed for an easy win, jumping ahead 7-0 as Northern Durham failed to convert a field goal until midway through the opening quarter.
But the Knights quickly regrouped, and scored 11 of the next 13 points, taking a 13-9 advantage on Chris Carver's lay-up with a minute left in the first.
However, the Wildcats surged late as Vaughan dropped in two free-throws, a short jumper and a break-away lay-up in the closing minute, and Stephen Townsend added a late lay-in, giving Millbrook a 17-13 lead after one.
Karon Blount hit a line-drive three early in the second, helping the Wildcats build a 22-16 advantage. The Knights responded scoring 12 of the game's next 15 points, taking a 28-25 lead into intermission.
In addition to defense, McInnes added he wants his Wildcats to be more aggressive on the boards, noting Millbrook was outrebounded in the first half.
Following Friday's conference opener at Broughton — which starts at 7 p.m. — the Wildcats host Wakefield Tuesday, Dec. 15, before heading to Sanderson Friday, Dec. 18.
