Davis, Thompson work overtime to lead Palmer over Palumbo

AMIR DAVIS figured the most amazing game of his final high school basketball season already owned a spot in the rearview mirror.

Then came Thursday. And a wonderful, hard-fought, draining contest that appeared destined to last into Friday.

For 44 minutes of game time and 2 hours, 19 minutes, of real time, host Palmer Charter battled Palumbo in Public League Division D.

And the former fiiiiinally won, 99-96.

After Jalen Wilder's right-wing trey fell short and the buzzer sounded, Davis exchanged a lengthy hug with a good buddy and fellow hero, Malachi Thompson. Davis, a 5-7, 160-pound combo guard, was wearing his warmup jersey, having fouled out in the second of the three overtimes.

When asked how much tension he'd experienced while being forced to serve as a spectator, an excited Davis responded with a story.

"When I fouled out, I told Malachi, 'This is what you've been waiting for. A chance to lead us. Bring it home!' " Davis said. "He said he had my back and that's what he did: brought it home!

"After Malachi said what he did, I had no doubt we'd win."

Davis, a lefty, finished with 31 points, six rebounds and four steals, and four treys were among his 11 field goals. Thompson added 26 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and seven steals.

Other notables included Vince Trombetta and Jurney Peel, and they accumulated no stats.

Trombetta, a longtime, still-active Public League football coach, both as a head man and defensive coordinator, worked the game by himself. He's 1 month short of his 80th birthday.

Peel, the 7-year-old cousin of Palmer's Khamari Peel, watched the game from a spot across from Palumbo's bench. Each and every time a Griffin prepared to shoot a free throw, she stood against the sideline, waved her pink, wool hat in looping circles and screamed, "You're gonna miss it! . . . You're gonna miss it!"

How she'd do? Palumbo went 13-for-28 at the line (46 percent).

"Yeah, she was great!" Davis gushed.

Shortly after game's end, Palumbo coach Tim Castanza was milling around on the court, just trying to comprehend everything that had happened, like everyone else, and saw Jurney standing nearby. Feigning anger, he said to her, "I hated you while the game was going on." Jurney got it. She beamed and scrambled over to exchange a hand clasp with Castanza.

Davis' first special moment of the season occurred on Jan. 2, when he scored a school-record 45 points in an 84-66 pasting of Jules Mastbaum Tech.

"I didn't score too much [nine points] in the first half [against Mastbaum]," he said. "Coach [Will Mega] got to me good in the locker room. He told me, 'This team should not be close to us. They're not good. It's your fault they're in the game.'

"I came out aggressive in the third quarter. I took a three. Went down. Took another three. Went down. Took another three. Went down. I felt like I was on. The points just kept comin' and comin' and comin'. Layups, jumpers, threes. Layups and foul shots. Everything!"

That process, somewhat, was repeated Thursday and Thompson did a pretty good imitation.

"Malachi, he's like my brother," Davis said. "I've been at Palmer since the fourth grade. Malachi came [2 years ago]. We linked up right away. Thing is, I didn't know he could play basketball at first. Then we played together on a summer league team at Kingsessing Rec Center."

Thompson owned 11 points through three quarters, then began to assert his will.

Regulation ended at 62-62 and the final shot was a missed baseline floater by Thompson. The scores after the first two OTs were 75-75 and 84-84.

Palumbo's Shafi Meachum, a sophomore guard, forced the second extra-session by the hitting the last two free throws after he was hacked while attempting a buzzer-beating trey. He also made it 84-84 by converting a double-bonus with 32.5 showing. Palmer's Demetrius White then missed a layup at the buzzer after gaining possession out of a scramble.

Though Palmer sprinted to the first eight points in the third extra session, Palumbo roared back and Meachum's layup - he finished with a school-record 41 points - made it 98-96 at 8.5. Thompson's 1-for-2 showing at the line left opened the door for a fourth OT, but the Griffins could not barge through.

Peel claimed 12 rebounds and Teair Tart-Spencer joined Thompson with 10. White had six assists and seven steals and Cahmar Johnson notched all seven of his points over the final two OTs.

Meachum shot 14-for-38 (four treys) from the field and 9-for-16 from the line. He also had five assists and four steals. Jameal Tucker mixed 28 points, 14 boards, six steals and five blocks. Mike Chau totaled 13 points and 18 rebounds. Calvin Francis (six assists, five steals) and Terrance Jernigan (four, six) also were spunky.

Davis, who lives in West Philly, wants to major in business management or architecture. Note to college recruiters: He's ready when you are.

"I know everybody can't go D-I or D-II," he said. "But I know I can play somewhere and I'm out here fighting for my chance."

Sometimes to the point of exhaustion.

"It was like boxing," he said. "We threw a punch. They threw a punch. No knockout, but we got in the last couple jabs."