By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
In a game where the final score resembled an outcome you might expect from 1950s- or 1960s-era basketball, the Kickapoo Chiefs outlasted the Parkview Vikings 40-39 – in overtime – on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022.
“We probably set basketball back a little bit tonight, winning a game 40-39 in overtime, with both teams playing somewhat fast and not trying to stall,” Kickapoo coach Mitch McHenry said. “It was not pretty; for either side, it was not pretty. But we knew it’d be a battle and a tough game. We’re fortunate and happy to be on the right side of it.”
With the score tied 35-35 heading into overtime, Parkview took the lead on a Marcus Price putback (37-35). Carson Noel hit the second of two free throws to pull Kickapoo within one (37-36). And after a block by Trae Oetting, fouls by both sides and a Parkview turnover, Zaide Lowery scored on a putback to give the lead back to Kickapoo (38-37).
Brayden Shorter hit two free throws with 26.6 seconds remaining to extend Kickapoo’s lead (40-37), but Parkview quickly scored on another Price putback to pull within one (40-39) with 7.8 seconds left. The Vikings forced a Kickapoo turnover near halfcourt and called timeout with 4.4 seconds to go. The Chiefs turned right around and called a timeout of their own.
Parkview advanced the ball toward its basket but turned the ball over and it was game over.
“We just had to get a stop,” McHenry said of the timeout call. “I mean, they drew up a great play, and had a pretty good look. We did a great job of helping away from the ball and making their point guard make a decision at the basket, which ultimately allowed us to get the win and get the stop. And at that point, there’s not really much you say; you just try to try to figure out what they’re going to run and try to get a stop.”
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The win avenged Kickapoo’s loss to Parkview early in the season, but also moved the Chiefs to 3-0 in the Ozark Conference and 15-3 overall.
“It felt pretty good,” Lowery said of Tuesday night’s win. “The first time we played them, we weren’t really prepared to guard the ball, so we just really wanted to focus on coming out and guarding well and that’s what we did to win the game.
“We did (go to overtime) with Nixa, and then we did with Parkview the first game, so it’s been exciting games and it’s been loud gyms.”
Kickapoo came out firing, quickly taking an 11-4 lead, and going up 14-8 to close out the first quarter. But both defenses were stingy and not allowing many good looks for either team, resulting in several missed shots and not a lot of points – not only in the first half, but the entire game.
“I just think when you have two really good teams that are just battling – I know it was a low-scoring game – that’s because both teams are disciplined and play really hard defensively and make it tough to score,” Parkview coach Landon Cornish said. “Both teams are very similar and play hard and they do a really good job of getting into their stuff, and they’re very skilled and talented and long. We had a couple of turnovers late, but we (forced) some turnovers there to stay in the game ourselves.
“Just really proud of our effort. It’s just a really good high school basketball game. It’s one of those, it sucks to come up on the losing end of it, you know. We obviously want to be on the other end of it. But it’s not one that we come out and be like, ‘Hey, we just gave that away, or that was a terrible effort.’ There was no questioning our effort, there’s no questioning our toughness and heart at the end. And that’s really all we can ask for.
“I don’t think we have anything to duck our heads about. I think our kids would be proud of themselves for the way we competed and the way we played.”
Parkview, which fell to 10-7 overall, 2-2 in the OC, was led by Drury commit, Elijah Whitley’s 20 points – including a huge 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter. Price added 12 points for the Vikings.
Lowery led the way for the Chiefs with 13 points, while Oetting chipped in with 12.
“It’s a big conference win, it’s a great win because they’re going to finish at the top of the conference,” McHenry said. “We’re still at the top with a couple other teams, so we like where we’re at. And, our kids, we’ve just got to learn from this experience and move on.”
KICKAPOO 40, PARKVIEW 39 (OT)
Ozark Conference game
KICKAPOO 14-6-7-8-5—40
PARKVIEW 8-8-8-11-4—39
KICKAPOO (15-3, 3-0) – Zaide Lowery 13, Trae Oetting 12, Carson Noel 1, Harrison Doennig 5, Brayden Shorter 6, Andrew Robinson 3.
PARKVIEW (10-7, 2-2) – Elijah Whitley 20, Xza McArthur 4, Marcus Price 12, Shane Glass 1, Ty Hill 2.
Kickapoo B 47, Parkview B 38
