In a back-and-forth classic in the district semifinals, Hickman boys basketball’s season ended in a heartbreaker against Rock Bridge.
Last month, the Kewpies broke their nearly eight year drought against Rock Bridge with a 62-50 victory. With the Kewpies finally getting over that hump, they hoped to make a run in the district tournament and perhaps even make it to state.
But with late turnovers and Seth Larson’s last gasp for a game-winning 3-pointer going awry, the Kewpies’ hopes were dashed at the hands of their crosstown rivals in a 61-59 defeat.
“When we were able to figure things out, Rock Bridge had a counter,” Hickman coach Cray Logan said. “That’s what makes (Rock Bridge coach) Jim Scanlon such a good coach.”
Neither team could gain a decisive upper hand over the other until the very end as the teams traded baskets throughout the game. Even when it looked like Rock Bridge had seemingly gathered enough momentum at the end of the fourth quarter to win, the Kewpies clawed their way back into it to give themselves an opportunity for a late comeback.
Even though Larson’s last shot didn’t fall , his efforts beforehand were one of the reasons Hickman was still in the game to begin with.
With under a minute to go in the fourth quarter and Hickman down by six, the Kewpies managed to grab a steal off of a Bruins inbound pass, with junior Henry Wilson’s layup completing the sequence . Those were Wilson’s first points of the game, and an important momentum swing.
Wilson found himself in another critical moment: shooting two shots on the free throw line in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter. He nailed the first free throw to bring Hickman to a one-possession ball game. He missed the second, but Larson grabbed the offensive rebound and sunk a putback to make it a one-point game.
After Hickman fouled and Rock Bridge subsequently missed a free throw , Hickman took the ball up the court with 7.1 seconds to go. A Bruin jarred the ball loose but it careened out of bounds, setting Hickman up with 3.4 seconds left. The ensuing play was drawn up to give Larson a chance to win the game, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Nonetheless, the Kewpies went out the only way Logan would’ve liked his team to: fighting until the very end.
“That’s the culture we’ve instilled.” Logan said regarding his players’ perseverance. “I’m extremely proud of my guys and the fight they showed.”
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March 02, 2021 at 10:20AM
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Hickman fights until the bitter end in crosstown classic - Columbia Missourian
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