The ball hadn’t been bouncing Briar Woods’ way in 2025-2026, with the Falcons on the losing end of an astounding ten games by five points or less. In the First Round of the Potomac District Tournament, after the Lightning took a 46-45 lead with under a second left in overtime, it looked like the Falcons’ string of bad luck would continue.
Then, ironically on Friday the 13th, Briar Woods’ fortune changed abruptly thanks to senior guard Devon Pettibone.
With just 0.7 seconds left, Pettibone received a pass from junior James Price and hit a leaning, two-point bank shot as time expired, giving his team a 47-46 victory. The sixth-seeded Falcons advanced to the Potomac Semifinals versus Potomac Falls and on to regionals, while third-seeded Lightridge’s season came to a close.
“We’ve lost nine games by just one possession this year,” said Pettibone after the game. “Our record doesn’t show who we really are. That’s our first ball that has gone our way all year.”
While a playoff game, neither team showed much consistent shooting or offense through three quarters, with Briar Woods leading 29-24 going into the fourth. Pettibone scored 10 first half points–the difference as the Falcons led for the majority of the game. The game was generally uneventful as first, with nerves and team defense seemingly winning out.
Things started to pick up in the fourth quarter, with Lightridge forwards Owen Working and Paden Edeen beginning to spark the Lightning offense. Lightridge took the lead, but Pettibone tied it at 40 when he hit one-of-two free throws with 1:05 left. Neither team was able to convert down the stretch, however, and the game went to overtime.
In overtime Lightridge seemed to have the upper hand. Up 43-42 with 50 seconds left in OT, the Lightning’s Brayden Oshode was fouled, and he calmly drained two free throws to put his team up 45-42. Finn Gardner of Briar Woods then missed a three-pointer, but fellow sophomore Cam Tracey got a crucial offensive rebound.
Pettibone was subsequently fouled driving to the basket with 27.8 seconds left. He hit both free throws to make it 45-44. Falcons senior guard Jerel Mayhew then poked the ball away from the Lightning, and Woods senior Nick Donatella was fouled in the ensuing scrum. Donatella hit one-of-two free throws with 18.1 seconds left to tie it at 45.
All the sudden, things got crazy. Lightridge held the ball for a final shot, and with .9 seconds left Mayhew made contact with screener Owen Working to send shooter Ryland Klosner to the line.
Klosner made the first free throw, even waving bye-bye to the Briar Woods fans after he did, but missed the second. Donatella rebounded and tried to hurl the ball the length of the court to no avail.
That was the first time Lightridge fans thought they had won the game.
Briar Woods had actually called timeout when Donatella got the ball, leaving them .7 seconds and the ball under their own basket.
Then, the Price to Pettibone magic.
Price’s pass came with pinpoint precision to Pettibone, who came cross-court around a screen from senior Josh Winklosky. Leaning to his left he then hit his shot, and sending the Briar Woods’ fans storming onto the court.
“We ran that play yesterday at practice,” said Pettibone, who will play college ball at Hood College in Maryland next year. “I just got open, and got lucky, it went in. Such a surreal feeling.”
The gym, and especially the home fans were stunned. Many people felt the shot shouldn’t have counted, pointing out that Pettibone couldn’t have possibly touched, steadied, and shot the ball in only .7 seconds.
It didn’t matter. The refs quickly huddled, counted the shot, and left the floor. The Lightridge students, misinterpreting the “basket is good” gesture from the referee, stormed the floor themselves, thinking the referee had waived off the basket.
That was the second time Lightridge fans thought they had won the game.
It was a stunning and remarkable finish to a high-stakes playoff game. After the game outside the gym the Lightridge coaches sat in silence outside their team’s locker room, trying to process what had just happened.
The Lightning’s season had concluded, but their team had an excellent year. Jermaine Walker’s team went from last place the previous season to third place in the Potomac District this year. That despite losing last year’s leading scorer Farrell Djossinou to Paul VI.
Even with the controversy at the end, Lightridge shot itself in the foot with missed free throws. The Lightning were 12-24 from the free throw line, while Briar Woods was 16-23.
Edeen, a senior, led Lightridge (10-14) with 12 points–all in the second half.
Pettibone finished with 17 for Briar Woods, and Tracey had nine points. Donatella added eight points and six rebounds for the Falcons. The win avenged a 65-62 loss to Lightridge just four days earlier in both teams’ regular season finale.
Briar Woods (7-16) will look to keep its newfound magic going against Potomac Falls on Monday. The Panthers defeated Briar Woods twice this year, but only by a total of five points.
“It would mean everything,” said Pettibone when asked what it would mean if his team could make a postseason run despite a tough regular season.
“Plus, it’s always fun playing at Pot Falls,” he added.
–Chris Jollay
Correct call. The shot clearly leaves the shooter’s hand before the horn sounded. Crazy finish and a phenomenal play by the young man that hit the shot.