Fourth quarter rally ends Cougar’s season
By KENT COULTAS
Scott County Times
Springfield Calvary scored 25 fourth quarter points and beat West Central 69-68 in the semifinals of the Routt 1A Boys’ Basketball Regional Feb. 22 at Jacksonville.
The Cougars finished 23-9 and co-champions of the WIVC with an 8-1 record. Calvary beat Routt 43-37 in the regional championship game. Routt also finished 8-1 in the WIVC.
West Central led 50-44 after three quarter and 52-46 after Chance Little scored off an assist from Zack Evans with 7:10 remaining in the game. Calvary went on a 14-2 run to take the lead 60-54.
Calvary scored eight straight points to take a 54-52 lead before Little scored to tie the game with 5:25 remaining. Calvary scored six more points before Evans made a three-point basket to get West Central with 60-57 with 3 minutes remaining.
Mason Berry made a free throw with 2:30 remaining to cut the margin to 60-58. Calvary, however, scored on its next possession to increase the lead to 64-60.
Little made two free throws as West Central got with 62-64. Calvary converted a three-point play on its next possession. After West Central committed a turnover, Calvary made two free throws and led 67-60.
Little grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with 27 seconds remaining to get the Cougars with 67-62. Calvary made two more free throws, but Evans made a three-point basket to get West Central within 69-65 with 20 seconds remaining.
After Calvary missed the front end of a one-and-one, Evans grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a three-point play with 5 seconds remaining to narrow the margin to 69-68. Calvary missed two free throws with 3 seconds remaining, but a half-court shot from West Central missed at the buzzer.
Calvary led 12-10, but West Central went on a 12-1 run and led 22-13 after one quarter. Berry scored to tie the game, and Little scored to give the Cougars a 14-12.
Evans followed with a steal and dunk for a 16-12 lead. Calvary made a free throw, but Evans made a three-point basket and grabbed a defensive rebound and drove in for a layup. Tyson Brown made a free throw, and West Central led by nine after one quarter.
Evans scored with 4:25 remaining in the second. West Central did not score for the remainder of quarter. Calvary scored the final five points to get within 31-23 at halftime.
Little scored to give the Cougar a 35-25 lead with 5:35 remaining in the third quarter, but Calvary scored the next six points to get within 35-31. Berry converted a three-point play to extend the lead back to seven points.
Calvary got within 44-42 later in the quarter, but Little scored two straight basket to increase the lead back to six points. After Calvary scored, Evans scored with 6 seconds remaining to give West Central a 50-44 lead.
Evans scored 32 points, including 21 in the first half, and had four rebounds, four assists and three steals to lead the Cougars. Little scored 24 points, including 22 in the second and 14 in the third quarter, and had seven rebound and four assists.
Berry scored six points and had five assists. Tyson Brown scored four points and had seven rebounds.
