There are certain games during the course of a year that define a basketball team.

Many call them signature victories.

For the Niles girls basketball team, Tuesdaynight’s 67-62 win in double overtime against visiting Kalamazoo Central is one of those victories.

The Vikings’ (8-3) nearly did not get a chance to gain that win as it trailed 52-50 with 5.5 seconds remaining in regulation.

A pair of clutch free throws by Maya Brookins sent the game into overtime deadlocked at 52-52.

After the first four minute overtime, the Maroon Giants and Vikings were still tied, this time at 57-57.

But in the second extra session, Niles seemed to catch its second wind and were finally able to put Kalamazoo Central (10-2) away.

Elyse Zimmerman hit four free throws in the final overtime seal the victory.

“Now I realize why there’s a before and an after picture of coaches,” first-year Niles coach Phil D’Amico said. “This took about 10 years off my life. But it’s a great win. It’s a culmination of hard work. We really deserved it. We just wanted it more at the end. That’s a really good basketball team. They’re really, really tough and they come at you the entire game. They don’t stop. They make you play 32 minutes, or like tonight, 40 minutes. We did the same thing (Friday) against Lakeshore and came up short. This time we finished. It’s a great win for the program and a great win for the girls.”

After falling behind 10-8 after one, the Vikings played one of its best quarters of the entire season.

Niles outscored Kalamazoo Central 19-9 to take a 27-19 lead at the half.

The Maroon Giants began whittling away the Vikings’ lead in the third quarter, cutting it to 40-37 heading into the fourth.

Once Kalamazoo Central erased the deficit, it appeared to have Niles on the ropes before a late surge helped the Vikings force the overtimes.

Antonia Palmer, who led Niles with 17 points, scored with 7.7 remaining in the game to pull the Vikings within two, setting up Brookins’ steal and ensuing free throws.

“I knew I had to make the free throws to keep us in the game,” Brookins said. “I had thrown away a couple of passes so I had to redeem myself.”

Besides Palmer’s total, Niles also got 13 points from Zimmerman, 11 points from Brookins and 10 points from Emily Gaines.

Arjanae Morgan scored a game-high 28 points to lead the Maroon Giants.

 

KALAMAZOO CENTRAL 62, NILES 67 (2 OT)

Central 62

Arieyonna Yarbrough 1 2-6 4, Kiera Parkman 1 1-2 3, Arjanae Morgan 13 2-7 28, Shamari Browning 0 0-0 0, Taylor Washington 3 0-0 8, Quierra Wilson-Abrams 0 0-0 0, Sadia Johnson 4 4-5 12, Anasia Harris 2 1-2 5, Sarah Visser 0 0-0 0, Tasia Hays 1 0-1 2, Ladayshia Brown 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 25 10-23 62

Niles 67

Jazmin Brown 3 2-10 8, Emily Gaines 4 1-2 10, Antonia Palmer 7 3-4 17, Maya Brookins 3 3-4 11, Elyse Zimmerman 3 7-11 13, Jaiden Rolan 4 0-0 8, Kylee Myer 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 24 16-31 67

 

Central           10         19       37       52       57       62

Niles                8          27       40       52       57       67

3-point baskets: Kalamazoo Central 2 (Washington 2), Niles 3 (Brookins 2, Gaines 1). Total fouls (fouled out): Kalamazoo Central 26 (Morgan, Harris), Niles 22 (Gaines). Niles 22. J.V. score: Kalamazoo Central 48, Niles 22. Varsity records: Kalamazoo Central 10-2, Niles 8-3