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Photos by SAM DEAN The Roanoke Times

William Fleming's Troy Daniels celebrates after he scored the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Franklin County on Friday.

William Fleming's Miles Henderson and Franklin County's Tae Gilbert scramble for a loose ball during Friday's game.

ROCKY MOUNT -- If he hadn't already done it once this season, it would have been stunning.

For Troy Daniels, the spectacular is becoming routine.

The William Fleming guard hit his second game-winning 3-pointer of the season Friday night, this time drilling a long jumper as time ran out to give the unbeaten Colonels a 68-65 Western Valley District victory over Franklin County.

In December, the 6-foot-4 senior nailed a 3-pointer in the final seconds of Fleming's 53-52 win at Radford. There was less pressure this time, but no less celebration as the Colonels mobbed Daniels before sprinting to the locker room.

"It was the same play we called at Radford, a high pick and roll," Fleming coach Mickey Hardy said. "It was the same shot."

Almost.

This time Daniels dribbled to his right after getting a high screen from 6-foot-7 center Jamelle Hagins. He pulled up well beyond the top of the key and swished the shot.

"I knew I had to get it up," said Daniels, who finished with a game-high 25 points. "Wherever I was, I was going to get it up."

Hagins knew there would be no rebound.

"I knew it was good," he said. "I felt it myself."

On the opposite bench, Franklin County assistant coach Mike Meredith had a sinking feeling too.

"That was like a 23-, 24-foot shot," said Meredith, who was filling in for head coach Doug Conklin for the second game this week because of a death in Conklin's family. "I wouldn't shoot that 100 times. I can't fault our guys for the defensive pressure. That was just a heck of a shot."

Fleming (10-0, 2-0) needed Daniels' heroics and more. After leading 29-20 early in the third quarter, the Colonels gave up a barrage of 3-pointers by the Eagles and trailed 55-42 with 5:20 to play.

Sparked by three straight 3-pointers by senior guard Stephon Anderson, the Colonels rallied and went up 61-60 on a 3-pointer by Daniels with two minutes left.

"You've just got to fight," Daniels said. "Thirteen down is really nothing to us."

The final two minutes were very hectic.

Franklin County (9-4, 1-1) went back up 62-61 on a scoop shot by Chris Tyree. Earl Gill added a free throw for a 63-61 lead with 1:06 to play.

Fleming still trailed 65-63 after Anderson made a foul shot with 31.2 seconds left. The Eagles went for the home run as Greg O'Neal threw a fullcourt inbounds pass intended for Daniel Hutson. However, the pass sailed long out of Hutson's reach and bounced off the backboard as Fleming gained possession.

"If that pass would have been one foot shorter, that would have been a great play," Meredith said. "I don't fault him for looking for it."

Fleming worked the ball inside to Hagins, who drew a foul. The big man knocked down both ends of the one-and-one to tie the game.

"I wanted the pressure," Hagins said. "It was a big-time moment. Big-time players got to step up."

Franklin County elected not to work for the final shot. Tae Gilbert drove the ball all the way up the floor into the lane, where Fleming's Tre Jones drew a critical charging call that Meredith disputed with an official when the final horn sounded.

"From my view, he was already up in the air and the guy slid up underneath him," Meredith said. "He was almost all the way under the basket. That's a tough call at home."

Hardy, who drew a technical foul earlier in the game, did not want to see overtime, not after watching Franklin County bury 12 3-pointers. The smaller Eagles were led by J.T. Edwards with 22 points, Hutson with 14 and Chris Tyree with 13. An extra four minutes of basketball wouldn't necessarily have favored the Colonels.

"In a hostile environment like this, it's hard to say," Hardy said. "Momentum was going back and forth. It took a team effort in the end. They create a lot of mismatches because they're small, they spread you out and they can shoot the basketball."

Conklin plans to return from Pennsylvania today after attending his nephew's funeral.

"I talked to him right before the game," Meredith said. "He just wanted to pass on to the guys to give 110 percent, play to the end and don't back down from nobody."

WILLIAM FLEMING (10-0, 2-0)

Daniels 9 3-5 25, Thomas 2 3-4 7, Hagins 5 3-5 13, Manning 3 3-4 9, Anderson 3 1-4 10, Jones 0 0-0 0, Henderson 0 0-0 0, Johnson 2 0-0 4, Preston 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 13-22 68.

FRANKLIN COUNTY (9-4, 1-1)

Reynolds 1 2-2 5, Edwards 7 3-5 22, Tyree 6 0-0 13, Gill 0 1-2 1, Hutson 4 3-4 14, O'Neal 2 0-0 6, Royal 0 0-0 0, Spencer 0 0-0 0, Gilbert 1 2-2 4. Totals 21 11-15 65.

William Fleming 9 11 23 31 -- 68

Franklin County 10 17 10 22 -- 65

3-point goals -- William Fleming 7 (Daniels 4, Anderson 3), Franklin County 12 (Edwards 5, Hutson 3, O'Neal 2, Reynolds, Tyree). Total fouls -- William Fleming 16, Franklin County 17. Fouled out -- none. Technical foul -- William Fleming coach Hardy.

JV -- Franklin County won 54-45