GALION, Ohio — If Houston Blair was feeling any discomfort, Galion’s point guard wasn’t letting on.
The Richland Bank Athlete of the Week, Blair scored 15 points and hit a pair of critical free throws in the final seconds as the Tigers rallied from a 12-point third quarter deficit for a 64-61 win over Shelby last week.
A 6-foot senior, Blair left the game briefly in the second quarter and headed for the trainer’s room with what appeared to be an ankle injury. He returned less than a minute later, much to Galion coach Colby Bright’s relief.
The Tigers (5-3) needed their floor general. Galion fell behind 50-38 with 3:31 to play in the third quarter only to outscore the Whippets 26-11 the rest of the way.
“Recently we’ve been coming out of halftime and having a letdown in the third quarter. I don’t know what it is,” Blair said. “Teams start hitting 3-pointers on us and we get down on ourselves and its an uphill battle from there.”
The Tigers dug themselves out of the whole during a five-and-a-half minute stretch bridging the third and fourth quarters. Galion capped a 12-0 run and pulled even at 50-50 on Chase Cooke’s layup with 6:02 to play.
“We never panicked,” Blair said. “We had confidence in ourselves and our teammates and we put it all together.”
Galion was clinging to a 62-61 lead with 9.9 seconds remaining when Zach Phelps misfired on the front end of a one-and-one. Blair eventually came up with the offensive rebound in the ensuing scramble and hit both a pair of free throws with 2.6 seconds left for a 64-61 lead.
“Free throws at the end are always nerve-wracking,” Blair said. “My teammates have a lot of confidence in me and I have a lot of confidence in myself.”
The Whippets weren’t done yet. A desperation 3-point attempt by Davey Hipp glanced off the rim as time expired.
“Watching the ball, it felt like it was glowing in slow motion,” Blair said. “Fortunately for us, he missed.”
A three-year letterman, Blair averaged 13.7 points and 4.1 assists a game last year. His ability to neutralize Shelby’s fullcourt pressure was instrumental in Galion’s comeback.
“We’ve got a great point guard who can handle it,” Bright said. “The goal was to get it in his hands and clear and let him go and bring it down the floor.”
The Tigers, who return to action Tuesday against North Union, dropped to Division III this year. Galion was 10-14 last season, advancing to the Division II sectional championship game before falling to eventual district champ Sandusky.
With Blair leading the way, the Tigers will be a tough out in the tournament.
“Houston is one of the best point guards in the area,” said Madison coach Tim Mergel, who coached Blair’s AAU team. “When you have a good lead guard, you can do a lot of damage.”
Galion fans hope so.
