BREVARD, N.C. - It was the perfect storybook ending to one of the best careers in Brevard basketball history.
Miles Leathers, looking the part of a deep-threat wide receiver running a post route, hauled in an 85-foot pass from Stevie Williams between two Newberry defenders. He planted with his left foot and took flight with his right, ensuring that the last two points he would score in his Brevard career would be among the most memorable in the Tornados' 54 seasons at Boshamer Gymnasium.
His layup through two defenders with 3.3 seconds remaining sent the crowd into delirium, providing the difference in an 84-82 win over Newberry that closed an emotional final chapter in the careers of Brevard's three seniors.
Each of Brevard's (6-22, 5-17 SAC) elder statesmen soaked in their final moments in royal blue and white in unique fashion. Alex Moe leapt over the bench to embrace his parents in the stands. Jonas Watts celebrated on the floor with his teammates. And Leathers sobbed into the arms of a close friend, tears flowing unchecked seconds after delivering on a play that head coach Lee Burgess drew up specifically for him.
Moments earlier, Newberry's (17-11, 12-10 SAC) Mitch Riggs had tied the game for the seventh and final time, driving the length of the floor and hitting a runner in the paint with 4.7 seconds to play.
Following a timeout, Stevie Williams received the ball from the referee and rolled to his left. Leathers, who began the play near midcourt along the opposite sideline, jab stepped toward Williams to shake his defender and sprinted back toward the basket. Williams heaved a pass in his direction, causing Leathers to slice left to receive the 85-foot pass. Boshamer Gymnasium erupted into pandemonium as the shot fell through, and Newberry's last gasp glanced off the rim to preserve Brevard's victory.
Leathers was informed after the game of one of his signature achievements. Already the first-ever Brevard player with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, and 100 steals in a career, Leathers' 15 rebounds moved him into a tie for first on Brevard's NCAA-era rebounding list with 596 in his career.
The Charlotte native also became just the second player in the NCAA era to surpass the 1,250-point barrier, ending his career with 1,265 points after an 18-point performance, and departs as the modern era career leader in assists (252) and steals (170).
Demarcus Threatt was Brevard's most potent offensive threat on the afternoon. The junior tied his career high with 36 points, giving him 586 for the season to set Brevard's single-season record. He established a new career high with five three-pointers made and tied two others with 13 field goals and seven rebounds.
Fred Rambert tied his personal best with 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting to play a critical support role. Rambert and Threatt helped the Tornados to shoot 50 percent or better from the field for the 10th time in the last 16 games, making 33 of their 65 attempts from the field while limiting Newberry to 38.0 percent shooting on 71 opportunities.
Each team dominated in stretches to set up the dramatic final sequence. Newberry scored the game's first eight points and led by 11 five-and-a-half minutes in, but Brevard came storming back with a 37-12 run spanning 10:05 to open up a 15-point as the teams neared the intermission.
The Tornados took a 13-point lead into the locker room after Threatt banked in a 27-footer at the buzzer and maintained a double-digit lead until the Wolves poured in 12 straight points to cut the advantage to a point with 6:23 remaining. Brandon Taylor's triple exactly three minutes later capped a 20-4 Wolves' run and gave Newberry its first lead since the 5:19 mark of the first half.
But Brevard was not to be denied on Senior Day. Again trailing by three with 1:50 to play, Stevie Williams completed a three-point play before Brevard regained the lead on its next possession on a fastbreak layup by Threatt. The teams exchanged points before Riggs' bucket set off the final sequence.
Moe scored five points and pulled down six rebounds in his final game. His two blocked shots gave him 65 career rejections, which ranks second in Brevard's NCAA-era record book. He is the fourth NCAA-era Tornado to surpass 700 points and 400 rebounds in a career, ranks third games played and starts, and is fourth with over 2200 minutes played.
Jonas Watts earned his first career start one game after pouring in a career-high six points against Carson-Newman on Wednesday. He is the first-ever Brevard player to make the jump from junior varsity to the varsity roster.
Saturday afternoon also marked the end of an era on the Tornados' sideline with the retirement of assistant coach George Williams. "The Chief" spent 17 years working under three different head coaches, serving on staff for two trips to the NAIA National Tournament as well as the team's magical run to the 2010 SAC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth.
Newberry's season will continue on Wednesday with a quarterfinal appearance in the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Championship. The fifth-seeded Wolves will travel to face No. 4 seed Lenoir-Rhyne, returning to the site of Newberry's 133-122 overtime triumph over the Bears in January.
Brevard closes its season in a four-way tie for ninth in the South Atlantic Conference after draining a game-winning shot in the final four seconds to defeat Newberry at Boshamer Gymnasium for the second consecutive year.
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Featured image provided by Jeremiah Reed, Transylvania Times Sports Editor
