By Brennan Stebbins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
After East Newton’s 12-point lead vanished in the second half, the championship game of the 57th Annual Pierce City Invitational was decided at the free throw line.
Patriots senior Kyson Lahman made a pair of free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining to carry third seed East Newton to a 55-53 over top-seeded Crane in front of a packed house on Saturday night.
“These kids have grown up a lot in the last year,” East Newton coach Kyle Fields said. “Dealing with some adversity and playing through some of that, I’m just really proud of them. All of them.”
East Newton (4-0) had led 32-20 with 3:45 left in the third quarter and still led by nine points in the first minute of the fourth, but the Pirates kept chipping away.
Crane (2-1) sophomore Taylor Calzarette scored twice in a span of 22 seconds, then senior Brecken Vaught nailed a three pointer with 6:20 left to make it 40-36.
Another Vaught triple made it 42-39 with 4:52 on the clock, and Calzarette scored in the paint at the 3:59 mark to bring the Pirates within a point.
Twice the Pirates got to within one, but both times the Patriots answered and the East Newton lead was back up to seven after two baskets by senior Tanner Youngblood made it 50-43 with 1:30 left.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Crane wasn’t done.
Senior Isaiah Smith made two free throws then stole the ball and dished to Calzarette to make it 50-47. East Newton led by five with 35 seconds left, but Smith scored and was fouled, cutting it to 52-50 at the line.
The Patriots led by three after a free throw, but Crane junior Aric Spyres tied it with 19 seconds left on a three pointer from deep in the corner.
And then Lahman was fouled under the basket, leading to the game-winning free throws.
“As soon as the game was over we looked and we were 14 of 15 from the foul stripe,” Fields said. “Playing a really good team we’ve got to hit free throws. That’s a big part of winning. I think that was a huge part of us pulling this out.”
The Pirates were just as good, making 10 of 11 shots at the line. But foul trouble hurt Crane, with Smith racking up four fouls in the first half.
“It was a tough, physical game and we got in some foul trouble that kind of bothered us,” Crane coach Kevin Smith said. “With Isaiah on the bench that hurts us. He had to spend a lot of time on there. We got down 12 and gutted it out and tied it up. Showed a lot of toughness. I was very pleased with that. East Newton’s a great team, coached well, but I was glad we kept making changes, adjustments and we’d come through at all those right times and get back in the game.”
Crane scored the first seven points of the game, then East Newton went on an 11-0 run to end the first quarter. The Patriots led 25-18 at the half.
East Newton was led by Lahman’s 22 points. Youngblood added 11 and senior Lucas Kimbrough also scored 11. Youngblood and Lahman combined for 15 of the team’s 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Brecken Vaught scored 20 for Crane. Calzarette added 12 and Spyres scored 11.
“It was a heated crowd, fun crowd,” Smith said. “I thought one thing, people could say that Brecken Vaught held the MVP to three points. I think he’s probably the best defender in southwest Missouri. He held Marshfield’s kid the other day who was averaging 22 to 9. I think he can guard anybody. So I’ve got to say kudos to Brecken defensively and he had a great game offensively too.”
All-tournament team
Kyle Renkoski, Pierce City
Brecken Vaught, Crane
Isaiah Smith, Crane
Kyler Tennis, Billings
Peyton McBride, Marshfiefld
Kyson Lahman, East Newton
Tournament MVP: Connor Killion, East Newton
