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By Kary Booher (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
BOLIVAR, Mo. – Tyem Freeman could only shake his head. Only 97 seconds and three points separated him and the Parkview Vikings from the program’s first trip to the state Final Four since 1990.
But almost in the blink of an eye – right after Freeman threw down a dunk off an alley-oop from Damarcus Mason – the Vikings’ charge to history hit a roadblock.
Noah Patrick got free for a 3-pointer in the corner at the other end, kick-starting Colombia-Rock Bridge’s decisive 9-0 run to finish the game as they eliminated Parkview 60-51 in a Class 5 quarterfinal Saturday night at the Meyer Center.
Isiaih Mosley, who has received an offer from the University of Missouri, finished with 15 points for Rock Bridge.
“Credit Rock Bridge,” Freeman said. “They’re a good team. Hopefully they make it to the state championship.”
It was a tough way to go for Parkview on a night when the Vikings, despite missing two starters, trailed only 30-29 at halftime thanks, in part, to three first-half 3-pointers from freshman Anthony Green.
The Vikings then stayed within striking distance thereafter. Mason’s steal inside the 2-minute mark set up Freeman’s thunderous alley-oop with 1:37 left, pulling Parkview to within 51-49. But it was not meant to be. In the drama of the moment, Rock Bridge fired the ball to its end of the floor and kicked it to Patrick.
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“I thought our intensity was great the entire game,” Parkview coach Landon Cornish said. “But in a split-second, you don’t realize how quick they can score.”
Parkview was missing its second-leading scorer, Dontae Taylor, and junior forward Gage Clark. The Vikings also had to play without Freeman after he picked up his second foul with 2:18 left in the first quarter. He didn’t return until the second half.
Still, Rock Bridge showed why it’s among the top teams in Class 5. Despite Green draining first-half 3s, the Bruins seemed unbothered and actually engineered a 10-3 run midway through the second half.
Jamonte Black, who finished with a game-high 22 points, had a big dunk that staked Rock Bridge to a 28-26 advantage with 2:13 left.
The Bruins stiff-armed every Parkview threat from, including Freeman throwing down a monster dunk early in the third quarter that pulled the Vikings to within 31-30.
“When we got in the locker room, we said we had to take off because I didn’t want to feel like last year,” Black said, referring to a quarterfinal loss to Kickapoo. “When they brought it to 2 (with 1:37 left), I still felt confident in our team. We’ve been battle-tested.”
Parkview certainly bushed them, but may look back at missed opportunities to take the lead.
Take early in the fourth quarter, for example.
Parkview had the ball and was trailing 41-39. But Rock Bridge forced a turnover after moving two guards into a trap on Mason in the back corner near the half-court line, then scored on the next play.
Latre Morrison had two dunks for Parkview, including one off a feed from Freeman, but that was in between two Bruins buckets (one a 3-pointer). Over the next three minutes Rock Bridge twice built seven-point advantages.
Fortunately for the Vikings, Mason finished a traditional 3-point play and then got a key steal that set up the fastbreak alley-oop. It was Parkview’s final bucket of the game, although the Vikings hit two free throws in the final 13 seconds.
Daru Elliot’s 11 points led Parkview, which saw Mason and Morrison finish with eight points each and Freeman with seven points. Green had nine.
“It hurts,” Cornish said of the loss, “but our kids shouldn’t have their heads down. It’s been 28 years since we got out districts.”
Said Freeman, “We’re going to come back harder, stronger and faster in every way possible. We look as this as a learning experience.”
