Two free throws by Emmitt Clark with just 2.2 seconds remaining in the game Friday night in Camilla gave the Mitchell County High School Eagles an 81-79 overtime victory over the Bainbridge High School Bearcats.

The Bearcats played without senior center Melzie Johnson, who suffered a wrist injury taking a charge in Tuesday night’s 75-70 victory over the Chipley High School Tigers in Chipley, Fla.

The score was tied 67-67 at the end of regulation. The Bearcats had the final shot, but Marquis Williams, who took game-scoring honors with 24 points, just misfired on a three-point attempt.

After the game, coach Rickey McCullough, whose Bearcats are 1-1 on the season, said his team played well but just didn’t finish.

“We had leads late in the fourth quarter and late in overtime and let them get back in it,” McCullough said.

The Bearcats started very strong scoring the first nine points of the game. The 9-0 run began with a jumper in the lane by Williams with 6:55 remaining in the first quarter.

It continued with a free throw by Antroine Williford at the 5:47 mark and a three-point jumper from the left side by Williams at the 5:31 mark and concluded with a jumper from the right side by Williford at the 4:56 mark. The Bearcats led 19-13 at the end of the first quarter.

Trailing 32-23 with just 1:35 left in the second quarter, the Eagles reeled off nine points to pull even 32-32 at halftime.

A free throw by Emmett Clark with 1;21 remaining made it 32-24. Clark cut the lead to 32-26 when he hit a layup off the left glass with 32 seconds remaining. The final three points of the 9-0 run came on a jumper from the right side by Cornelious Jackson at the 25-second mark and a three-point jumper from the right side by Gerald Williams at the 10-second mark.

Williams, who led all scorers Friday night with 24 points, was one of three Bearcat players with 24 points. Williford added 18 and Lodman put in 15. Clark led the Eagles with 23 and Williams scored 19.

The Bearcats will return to action today at 7:30 p.m. when they host East Gadsden High School from Quincy, Fla., at the Decatur County Memorial Coliseum. They will host the Colquitt County High School Packers Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Coliseum.