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GVVC Tournament: What a comeback!
By Jason Peake
Daily Mail Sports Editor
BRONAUGH --With his team down 12 points early in the fourth quarter, Sheldon Coach Tyler Judd had one simple message for his Panthers -- "Get a score, get a stop."
His team listened.
Sheldon's boys basketball team pulled off a thrilling 68-64 come-from-behind victory over rival Bronaugh in the championship game of the Golden Valley/Vernon County Conference Tournament on Saturday night in front of a jam-packed BHS Gymnasium.
"I told our guys there's no 12 point shot," Judd said. "We needed a stop and a score every time down. We couldn't get it all back at once. Our kids just stepped up and hit some shots. And we finally got some stops. They just never gave up."
Bronaugh looked in complete control with a 46-34 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats were picking apart Sheldon's zone defense and scoring on nearly every possession. But the Panthers got several defensive stops in a row and slowly cut into the lead.
Down 51-45, Sheldon suddenly caught fire from the perimeter.
Tra Hart, Dustin Rhoades and Reed Worsley all hit three-pointers in less than two minutes and Sheldon grabbed a 54-51 lead.
After one Bronaugh free throw, Rhoades drained another three from the wing and the Wildcats committed a foul after the play. Eric Leavell hit two free throws and the Panthers were up 59-52.
Bronaugh's Josh Willis responded with a trey, and then teammate Patrick Hallam hit two foul shots. But Rhoades and Leavell scored to keep the Panthers in front.
After free throws by both teams, Sheldon was up 66-62 with just under a minute to play. The Panthers passed the ball around the perimeter to run clock, and Bronaugh didn't foul until nearly 45 seconds had run off the clock.
Sheldon's Taylor Belew missed both foul shots and Bronaugh's Ty Cliffman scored on the other end. But it was simply too late. After the hoop, there was only a second left. Sheldon's Leavell made two free throws for the final margin.
Sheldon (16-6) outscored Bronaugh 34-20 in the final frame to pull off the impressive comeback. The Panthers hit five threes in the fourth.
"I think our experience helped us out in the fourth quarter," Judd said. "And Reed and Dustin hit some huge shots for us."
Bronaugh Coach Jim Hillman admitted his team just didn't get it done in crunch time.
"We have to give Sheldon credit," Hillman said. "Our discipline went out the window late in the game. We gave up a lot of uncontested threes. Sheldon deserves all the credit for coming back. They fought hard."
Hillman added his team didn't play its best in the fourth quarter.
"We didn't play defense, we quit rebounding and we missed some wide open shots inside," he said. "And a lot of the shots we usually make just didn't go in."
Sheldon's Leavell scored 28 points, while Rhoades added 18 and Hart had 14 for the Panthers.
A junior, Hallam scored 22 for Bronaugh (10-11). Willis scored 11 before fouling out.
After a 12-6 second quarter, Bronaugh led 26-22 at the half. After threes from Hallam and Cliffman, the Wildcats were up by 10. Chance Wait had two hoops for Bronaugh late in the third period, and Bronaugh led 44-34 entering the fourth.
Wildcats junior Blake Hudson scored inside to put his team up 46-34 early in the fourth quarter.
But that's when Sheldon turned things around in a hurry.
Bronaugh's gymnasium was packed to capacity, with the crowd split down the middle.
"It was a great crowd and it was a lot of fun," Hillman noted.
These small-school rivals will see each other again right away. They'll play tonight in Sheldon.
"Hopefully the good guys will win on Tuesday," Hillman said.
NEVC boys take third
With four players in double figures, Northeast Vernon County won the third place game 59-55 over Montrose.
Jacob Bell scored 19, Cody DeOrnellis had 18, Grant Davis scored 13 and Tanner Stutzman added 12 for the Knights.
Hume girls fall
In the girls title game, undefeated Montrose rolled past Hume 61-36.
Kendall Hart of Montrose (21-0) scored 37 points. Hume was led by Emily Brooks, who scored 12. Montrose led 12-4 after one quarter and then used a 22-8 third quarter to put the game away.
Friday's results
On Friday night, Sheldon's girls won the third place game 46-28 over Bronaugh.
The Panthers pulled away with a 19-8 second quarter. Erica Conner scored 13 for Sheldon, while Bronaugh was led by RaeAnn Mader's 11.
In the girls fifth place game, Ballard beat NEVC 40-36. The Bulldogs outscored the Knights 14-1 in the second quarter. Camille Buttorff scored 18 for NEVC.
Next, Ballard's boys earned a 46-43 win over Hume in the fifth place game. Hume's Bobby Berry scored 22 in the loss.
Boys title game
Sheldon 68, Bronaugh 64
SH 16 6 12 34 -- 68
BR 14 12 18 20 -- 64
Sheldon: Leavell 28, Worsley 6, Baney 2, Rhoades 18, Tra Hart 14. Three-pointers: Rhoades 4, Worsley 2, Hart.
Bronaugh: Cliffman 5, Hallam 22, Willis 11, Cox 2, Hudson 9, Murphy 6, Wait 9. Three-pointers: Hallam 4, Willis 2, Cliffman.
Boys third place game
NEVC 59, Montrose 55
NE 12 18 11 18 -- 59
MO 8 19 11 17 -- 55
NEVC: Stutzman 12, Davis 13, Bell 19, DeOrnellis 18, Hoagland 3, Lyness 2.
Montrose: Nold 6, Engeman 8, Foster 4, Swaters 8, Boggs 20, Kine 9.
Girls title game
Montrose 61, Hume 36
HU 4 11 8 13 -- 36
MO 12 11 22 16 -- 61
Hume: Brooks 12, A. Yarick 9, Jacobs 5, Thompson 6, Sears 4. Three-pointers: Brooks 4, Jacobs.
Montrose: Engeman 11, Bracher 10, Hart 37, Collins 3. Three-pointers: Bracher 2, Engeman.
Friday's boxscores
Girls third place
Sheldon 46, Bronaugh 28
SH 5 19 18 4 -- 46
BR 6 8 6 8 -- 28
Sheldon: Claflin 2, E. Laning 2, E. Conner 13, A. Laning 11, C. Conner 7, Shelton 7, Rawlings 4. Three-pointers: E. Conner, C. Conner.
Bronaugh: Ussery 7, Campos 2, Arens 2, Moore 2, Householder 4, Mader 11.
Girls fifth place
Ballard 40, NEVC 36
BA 8 14 12 6 -- 40
NE 10 1 10 15 -- 36
NEVC: H. Hays 2, Buttorff 18, Haddix 2, P. Hays 14, Conner 0.
Ballard: Cooper 7, Morris 11, Wainscott 12, Dody 2, Resz 2, Meade 3.
Boys fifth place
Ballard 46, Hume 43
HU 3 14 7 19 -- 43
BA 11 13 14 8 -- 46
Hume: Lewis 8, Nicholar 11, Crawford 2, Berry 22, Rogers 0.
Ballard: Engelhardt 2, Clark 2, Sickels 14, Oswald 4, Rowland 6, Oerke 18.