Tigers Season Ends in Triple-OT

In a game that took five-and-one-half quarters to decide, the Burlington-Edison Tigers’ season ended, in heart-breaking fashion, to the Archbishop Murphy Wildcats, 80-79, in yes, triple overtime, Thursday night, at Mount Vernon High School.

The Tigers, again, played without the services of their injured leading scorer, junior forward, Logan Heigert, and their season ends with a record of 16-8.  The Wildcats (11-13), move on to Saturday’s Winner-to-state/Loser out game against Lynden.

As I stated in my tournament preview, the Wildcats record is deceiving, as they play in the Wesco South, where their ten league contests are against 3A teams.  They are a physically strong and athletic group.

After spotting the Wildcats a 3-pointer to start the scoring, the Tigers reeled off 13 straight points, several of which came off the shooting hand of senior forward Spencer Betz.  Bets scored eight of the Tigers 17 first-quarter points, helping them to an eight-point lead.

The strong and athletic part was the battle between Tigers 6-8 senior center, Timophy Feskov, and 6-5 Wildcat junior forward Jack Sievers.  Sievers is a strong, Division 1 football recruit.

Feskov owned the reach, but Sievers the muscle, as the two battled onward.  Feskov scored ten points in the first half, while Sievers had eight for the Wildcats.  The Tigers led 33-27 at halftime.

The lead was whittled to two points starting the fourth quarter.  Feskov went to work inside and scored the Tigers first eight points of the quarter.  However, with no fouls in the first half, Feskov had them pile up quickly in the second half, and ultimately, fouled out with 1:21 left in the fourth quarter.  At that point, Wildcat junior forward Jordan Rife then split two free throws giving his team a 56-55 lead.

Tigers junior guard Logan Arendse hit two free throws with just under a minute left to put the Tigers back in the lead.  Then Betz picked up a steal for the Tigers with 40 seconds left.  The Wildcats then had to foul three times to put junior guard Madden Whitlock on the free throw line.  He hit one of two free throws with 25 seconds left, giving the Tigers a 58-56 lead.

With Feskov out, the Wildcats attacked the rim more often, which is what happened as the Wildcats tied the score on a drive by 6-4 senior forward Mateo Love. 

The Tigers quickly inbounded but turned the ball over on along pass, giving the Wildcats 3.7 seconds to go for the win, but they could not get a shot off before the buzzer.

In the first overtime, Love hit two free throws for the Wildcats, tying the score at 65-65 with 19 seconds left.  Both teams then had a shot at the win, but came up empty.

In overtime number two, the Wildcats took a 70-67 lead with 1:49 left.  Then on consecutive Wildcat possessions, the Tigers press picked up two steals for lay-ins.  The first by Whitlock, and the second by Betz and the Tigers flipped back in front 71-70 with 40 seconds left.

The Tigers then came up with a third straight steal, this time when double-teaming the low post.  Once in front court, and after a timeout, Arendse was fouled with 17 seconds left.  Arendse sank both, giving the Tigers a three-point lead.

As the Wildcats worked for the tying 3-point shot, the Tigers knocked the ball loose and appeared to come up with the ball, but it was poked loose by the Wildcats, who continued to look for a shot.

Finally, junior forward Orion Belleza, who first entered the game the second overtime, was open at the top of the key, and off the dribble, swished a hanging-double-pump shot that tied the game at the buzzer.

In the third extra session, Love scored inside on what would be the winning bucket with 1:22 to play. 

The Tigers missed a shot on their next possession, but Belleza missed two free throws with 13 seconds left, giving the Tigers on more chance.

The Tigers had the ball at the sideline with eight seconds to go, but could not get the shot they wanted.  Bets came to the rescue of Whitlock who was stopped on the dribble at the right low post.  Whitlock’s turn-around ten-footer was off the rim at the buzzer, giving the Wildcats the win.

Love led the Wildcats with 26 points, as he got half of those in the fourth quarter, and beyond.  Sievers finished with 21 for the Wildcats.

Feskov’s 24 points was matched by Arendse.  Arendse scored 15 of those after the third quarter.  He also went 8-8 at the free throw line during that time.  Betz finished with 18.

This district tournament is a very tight squeeze, and now it’s down to two teams playing for the final spot.  In late December, Lynden handled the Wildcats, 61-39, but that, plus 50-cents won’t by you a bag of popcorn at this point.

The Wildcats and Lions will square off in The Palace, at 7:00pm, Saturday.  That game will follow the girls game for second place between Archbishop Murphy and Burlington-Edison, which starts at 5:15pm.

~ Ted House