For the second time in three nights, Northeast Lauderdale was looking for a game-winning basket with less than 10 seconds on the clock.

And just like in the previous outing, the ball was in the hands of Norianna Haynes when it came time to put up the shot.

After taking the ball the length of the floor, Haynes flipped the ball over her head and sank the reverse layup to give Northeast Lauderdale a 44-42 win against Forest Hill in overtime of the MHSAA Class 4A South State Championship game.

Haynes, who scored 17 points on the night, got the chance at the game-winner after Quanna Grace dove on a loose ball and called timeout with 7.5 seconds left.

Grace finished the night with 10 points.

“It was a total team effort tonight,” said Northeast coach Frederick Liddell. “During the timeout, we drew up an inbound play and executed it to the ‘T.’ There was no doubt at all that we wanted to get the ball in Norianna’s hands. She does a good job of making things happen or finding her teammates if she gets double-teamed.”

The game stayed tight throughout as the Lady Rebels held a three-point lead after the first quarter and Northeast (22-10) slowly chipped away before forcing overtime.

“I can’t express it enough,” Liddell said. “The kids are playing hard and playing together. We have just been outworking our opponents.”

By earning the top seed from the South, Northeast will get an extra week off before heading to the State Tournament in Jackson.

“It’s a big break for us,” Liddell said. “We’re able to let the kids rest and get our legs back under us. It also means we don’t have to rush to get Sammone (Lewis) back.”

Lewis suffered a knee injury during the quarterfinal game of the South State Tournament on Thursday. Liddell is hopeful that the senior guard can return to the lineup when the Lady Trojans take the court at the Big House on March 3.