Cam Alston and his North Augusta High School teammates took Sumter to the brink in the AAAA basketball playoffs Saturday, but overtime belonged to the Gamecocks and the curtain fell on the Yellow Jackets' 2009-10 basketball season.

Alston, scoring 15 points, led the Jackets on offense. The game was tight through the first quarter, but Sumter ruled the second quarter and North Augusta surged in the final period, taking the lead back with 14 seconds to go, when Devon Davis hit a layup, setting the score at 71-70.

Davis, however, fouled out with five seconds left, sending the home team's Shaheed Robinson to the line, where he connected on one of two opportunities and brought the match into overtime.

North Augusta's other double-digit scorers wound up being Austin Davis with 14 and Derek Daniels with 12. Their squad finished an 18-7 overall record and an 8-6 tally in Region 5-AAAA.

"I thought we played pretty well," said Al Young, North Augusta's coach, recalling the Sumter contest. "I thought we really beat them in the second half and came back and were able to tie and, in fact, went ahead with 11 seconds left ... We had a last chance - last shot - and just didn't convert. It was a great effort."

Sumter's lineup, he said, was "really big and tall," and the Jackets' foul situation caused trouble. He noted that Devon Davis, often the Jackets' leading scorer, is also the top rebounder, so the loss was serious when he fouled out with seconds to go in the fourth period.

"I thought Derek Daniels probably played his best game of the season," Young added. "I thought he had a real good game and did well for us, coming off the bench."

Young's squad had advanced to the second round via a Wednesday win, also on the road, against West Ashley, 79-71. Devon Davis racked up 27 points. Jaylon Meyers added 20; Cam Alston, 14; and Jessie Pernell, 11.

"I thought we really had a great season," the coach said, noting that region competition was especially challenging. "The kids played hard and really well. Coming into the season, I had no idea of what to expect from this team, and I'm well pleased with the results, having made it to the second round of the playoffs and finished with an 18-7 record."

He noted that "pleased," however, is not the same thing as "satisfied" and confirmed his desire to press further toward a state title in 2010-11.

Overall, he said, "I think the kids need to be commended. I think they did an outstanding job."