Mules advance to C6 quarterfinal with win over Oakville

Poplar Bluff players, from left, Gage Rivers, Darian Webb, Darion Combs, Kannon Carr and Joseph Hardimon celebrate after winning the MSHSAA Class 6 sectional playoff Tuesday night, March 9, 2021, at the Senior High Gym in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

DAR/Brian Rosener

POPLAR BLUFF — With a dependable defense and a perfect performance from the foul line in the fourth quarter, the Poplar Bluff boys basketball team ended a 16-year playoff drought Tuesday night.

Joseph Hardimon’s step-back 3 to end the third quarter put the Mules ahead after Oakville overcame a 10-point deficit. After trading baskets to start the fourth, Poplar Bluff gave up just one point over the next five-plus minutes before Darian Webb sank six straight free throws to help finish off a 63-47 win in the MSHSAA Class 6 sectional playoff.

“That’s a blessing,” Poplar Bluff senior Darion Combs said. “We’ve worked for this, you grind for it. We just got to keep playing, keep going.”

Playing at the Senior High Gym for just the fifth time this season, the Mules earned another home game and advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2005.

Poplar Bluff (15-9) will host Chaminade (20-1) at 6 p.m. Friday. The top-ranked Red Devils beat Marquette 57-40.

“Friday night is going to be fun,” Poplar Bluff senior Chance Campbell said.

This one was wild with 10 lead changes, five ties and two big swings in the third quarter.

Oakville (13-13) didn’t score over the first four minutes of the second half and the Mules built a 26-21 halftime lead into a double-digit one.

But the Tigers got a boost off the bench in sophomore Colby Noblitt, who sank four 3-pointers over a span of 2 1/2 minutes to tie the game. Oakville led by a point in the closing seconds of the third when the Mules forced a jump ball.

Hardimon then knocked down his 3-pointer in front of the student section for a 41-39 lead.

“We could have easily folded and let the momentum run away from us, but our guys fought back and got it done,” Mules coach William Durden said.

Hardimon, who led the Mules with 15 points, broke a tie in the opening minute of the fourth with a drive across the lane. Webb, who had 12 points, later pulled down a missed 3-pointer by Oakville and scored on the other end for some breathing room.

After a missed one-and-one chance by the Tigers, Oakville appeared to steal the ball but Nic Brumitt took it back in front of his bench and headed to the basket for a 47-41 lead. The same scenario happened on Poplar Bluff’s next possession when Campbell got the ball back and scored at the midpoint of the fourth.

“We’ve been giving up broken-play buckets all year for the other team,” Durden said. “It’s nice this game that we actually got a couple.

“We had a couple of guys make a couple of heads-up plays and go and finish.”

Hardimon sank both ends of a one-and-one with 3:41 to play to put the Mules ahead 51-42 and the lead was 11 after Webb’s first two foul shots before Oakville scored its first basket since the opening 10 seconds of the quarter.

The Mules finished 15 for 22 at the line, making their final 10, after struggling to close out the district final in regulation from the line.

“We work on free throws a lot because we’re not the best at it,” said Campbell, who had eight points. “We’ve been working on it a lot more since (districts).”

Just like the district final, the Mules took care of rebounds, finishing plus-8 on the boards, and the ball by turning the ball over twice during the second half.

Poplar Bluff’s Gavin Rivers scored eight points, Gage Rivers added five while Brumitt had four of his six points in the fourth quarter.

Noblitt sank five 3-pointers to lead the Tigers with 16 points while junior Grant Hastings added 12 points.

“I thought we played a really good half-court defensive game,” Oakville coach Nicholas Traxler said. “They’re quick and they attack the basket really well. So I thought our boys hung in there as far as that was concerned.”

While the Mules were in the playoffs for the first time since 2018, it had been a decade since the Tigers had won a district title.

The Mules had lost their previous three appearances in the sectional playoff, their last win dating back to the 2005 championship game when Poplar Bluff beat Vashon.

“I’m just glad I got to spend it with my team and my hardworking teammates that are always there for us,” Campbell said.

The largest lead of the first half was four points but Gavin Rivers answered with a 3-pointer and Webb’s fastbreak layin put the Mules up 9-8 after one quarter.

The teams traded the lead with each score during the second quarter. Hardimon broke a 21-all tie on a drive to the basket with 27 seconds left. After a missed 3-pointer by the Tigers, who started 1 of 9 from long range, Gavin Rivers sank a 3 just before the buzzer.

The Mules scored five straight to open the second half to lead 31-21 on Campbell’s layin off a pass from Gavin Rivers. But they couldn’t secure a defensive rebound and Noblitt sank a 3 for Oakville’s first points at the 3:52 mark.

Durden said the first few minutes of the third and fourth quarters were the best the Mules had played defensively all season.

“We guarded every play and then we rebounded the ball,” Durden added. “During the stretch when they made the comeback, we didn’t.”

After giving up nine straight points, Combs sank a corner 3 but it only slowed the momentum momentarily. Drew Elza’s three-point play put Oakville ahead and the Tigers led by three with 28 seconds left in the third.

It didn’t last.

“I thought they played a heck of a fourth quarter and they’re the ones that made the difference,” Traxler said of the Mules.

“They went out and won it.”