Semoball

Class 1 Sectional: Risco boys basketball rallies from 62-58 deficit in final half-minute to beat South Iron 63-62 in overtime

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
Risco senior guard Nathan Burnett penetrates past South Iron's James Ruble in a Class 1 boys basketball sectional Tuesday at Bloomfield High School.

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - It took a few extra minutes and an unforgettable comeback but the Risco Tigers boys basketball team found a way to earn its first birth in the state quarterfinals since 2010.

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
Risco's EJ Myers looks for a shot against the South Iron defense in a Class 1 boys basketball sectional Tuesday night at Bloomfield High School.

Risco rallied from a 62-58 deficit in the final 23 seconds of overtime to edge the South Iron Panthers 63-62 in a Class 1 sectional Tuesday night at Bloomfield High School.

"South Iron is a such a good team and Dusty Dinkins is one of the best coaches out there," Risco coach Brandon Blankenship said. "Our guys just don't quit. We've been through the fire and the tough games. Our seniors have so much heart and so much fight in them. Even when things don't look good they still believe and don't quit."

Photo by Dustin Ward, staff
Risco's Garrett Young penetrates against the South Iron defense in a Class 1 boys basketball sectional Tuesday night at Bloomfield High School.

The overtime rally began when Garrett Young converted a 2-point field goal in the paint as he was fouled with 15 seconds remaining to trim South Iron's lead to 62-60. Young was unable to convert a 3-point play but Risco's Nathan Burnett rebounded the missed free throw and recorded his own 2-point field goal in the paint as he was fouled to tie things up at 62-all with 13 seconds left.

"I knew that rebound was very crucial so I just gave it all I had," Burnett said.

Burnett successfully completed an old-fashioned 3-point play by making a free throw after recording the stick back to put Risco on top 63-62 with 13 seconds left.

After a timeout, South Iron pushed the ball the length of the floor and passed it to a heavily guarded Darjon Prater who released a 3-point shot along the baseline near his own bench that made contact with the front of the rim but did not fall as time expired.

"We brought out the clamps," Risco guard EJ Myers said of the final defensive stop. "We've focussed on defense the entire season. We got the stop at the end when we needed it."

Risco and South Iron traded the lead 14 times in the instant classic. Risco's largest lead was 46-39 with 7:20 left in the fourth quarter and South Iron's largest leads were 14-10 with 2:34 left in the first quarter and 62-58 in the final half-minute of overtime.

Myers set the tone early for the Tigers from the perimeter. The senior guard, who paced Risco with 19 points, hit four 3-pointers in the opening quarter.

"Credit our shooting coaches," Myers said. "We love shooting in this gym because the layout is just like ours. It's just a little bit bigger. But hats off to South Iron because they shot the ball really well also."

Risco led 19-17 after one quarter, 31-29 at halftime, and 44-39 at the end of the third quarter before South Iron scored seven unanswered points to tie things up at 46-all with 5:31 left in regulation.

The Panthers went up 53-50 when Jermaco Burse, who scored all dozen of his points in the second half, hit a 2-pointer with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter. Burnett responded with a 3-pointer on Risco's next possession to tie things up at 53-all with 2:25 left.

The Panthers moved ahead again 56-53 when Brock Wakefield knocked down a trey with 2:02 left. But the Tigers responded again as Myers drained a 3-pointer to tie things up at 56-all with 1:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Neither team scored on their final possession of the fourth quarter, forcing an overtime session the Tigers won 7-6.

"We are a senior-based group," Burnett said. "We just tried to prove what seniors are supposed to do in big moments."

The Tigers finished with 11 treys while the Panthers made eight 3-pointers.

Myers recorded a game-high six 3-pointers for Risco. Burnett, who finished with 18 points, knocked down two additional 3-pointers. Garrett Young, who also finished in double digits for the Tigers with 14 points, also connected for a trey.

"We knew they were going to play a zone," Blankenship said of the perimeter attack. "We wanted our shooters to look to shoot it early. EJ hit four in the first quarter. When he gets going that gives us a great boost."

Freshman Drinin Dinkins and sophomore Brock Wakefield both made four 3-pointers for South Iron. Wakefield finished with 27 points and Dinkins added 16 more points.

"We tried to give them some different looks," Blankenship said. "We played a Triangle and Two on them for a little while and also tried to play a zone and man to man. But Wakefield and Dinkins can make plays and make shots. We just tried to keep them in front of us and keep them from getting to the basket."

South Iron finishes its season with a record of 22-5.

Risco (24-5) will play Dora (28-1) in a Class 1 quarterfinal Saturday at 1 p.m. at Van Buren High School. Dora beat Chadwick 81-44 in its state sectional Tuesday.

"I know Dora is the No.1 team in the state," Blankenship said. "The Haney kid is phenomenal for them and their triplets are also tough. This time of the year every game you play is tough and each step is tougher. We will go home and put together a game plan and see what we need to do to try to pull one out Saturday."

Risco 63, South Iron 62

South Iron17121017(6)--62
Risco19121312(7)--63

SOUTH IRON (62) -- Drenin Dinkins 16, Jermarco Burse 12, Darjon Prater 1, James Ruble 2, Brock Wakefield 27, Champ McMurry 4. FG 22, FT 10-15, F 15 (3-pointers: Dinkins 4, Wakefield 4. Fouled out: None.)

RISCO (63) -- Nathan Burnett 18, E.J. Myers 19, Garrett Young 14, Treston Meese 7, Daniel Payne 2, Evan Pipkins 3. FG 20, FT 12-16, F 16 (3-pointers: Myers 6, Burnett 2, Meese, Pipkins, Young. Fouled out: None.)

Photo by Dustin Ward
Risco's Evan Pipkin is guarded by South Iron's Drenin Dinkins in a Class 1 boys basketball sectional Tuesday at Bloomfield High School.
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