Who Nose?: Wacky ending sees Lady Jackets fall to Byrnes

Samora Moody hit three free throws to tie the game with 0.5 seconds left, but the shots were nullified after Moody was issued a technical foul for having nose jewelry in.

Some games are won or lost by the skin of one’s teeth.

For others — like Friday night’s clash between the Greer and Byrnes ladies — it’s by the jewelry on one’s nose.

In one of the most bizarre endings to any high school basketball game one might ever see, a technical foul on Greer’s Samora Moody for wearing a nose ring allowed Byrnes to convert the game-winning free throw with 0.5 seconds remaining.

The Lady Rebels took down the Lady Jackets 54-53.

“In my career, I’ve never seen a game end like that or had a player get called for that, especially with such little time left on the clock,” said Greer head coach Demarcio Downs. “It’s unbelievable.”

With 3.7 seconds left, Greer inbounded the ball down 53-50. Greer point guard Amiyah Clark-Lamelle dribbled the ball down the court and passed to Samora Moody on the left wing. Just before the buzzer sounded, Moody pulled up for a three-pointer. She was fouled with 0.5 seconds remaining.

Moody stepped to the line, knowing she needed to make all three free throws for Greer to stay alive. She did just that, and the Jacket student section went crazy.

But hold everything.

As Moody stepped away from the free throw line, a referee noticed, somehow, for the first time in the game, with 0.5 seconds remaining, that Moody had jewelry on her nose.

He called Moody for a technical foul.

“I’ve never seen that,” said Downs. “I’ve had girls have to sub out if they have jewelry in, and we’ve gotten warnings, but I’ve never seen someone get a technical foul right away.”

Byrnes would get two technical free throws as a result. Not only that, but as it was Moody’s fifth foul of the game, her free throws were negated from the scoreboard after she’d already attempted them.

Rashiya Earle stepped up from the bench, however, and in her first bit of action of the game, came in to attempt three free throws for Greer in place of Moody.

Earle hit all three of them, too. The Greer student section exploded with cheers.

But Byrnes would still have the opportunity to win the game. Lady Rebels star Te’Erika Dowling stepped up to take the two technical free throws with the game now tied at 53.

She missed the first off the front iron, but swished the second.

The Lady Rebels hung on for the win.

“I told my girls after the game, I almost feel like we stole that one,” said Byrnes head coach Missy Fowler. “You hate to see a game end that way for either team, but sometimes, I guess you need a little bit of luck to go your way. Just a really, really strange end.”

Fowler said she was proud of Dowling — who finished with 20 points — for how she stepped up and hit the game-winning free throws in such an odd situation.

“I knew she could do it,” said Fowler. “I wouldn’t have put her up there if I didn’t think she was ready for that moment.

“As a team, I’m proud of the fact that they pulled it out, even though they didn’t necessarily play their best game.”