By Dana Harding (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
SPARTA, MO – Coach Shawn Guerin’s Thursday night dinner message to senior Clayton Garrison was simple.
“It ain’t the last time I’m going to coach you tomorrow night,” Guerin said. “Don’t let that happen.”
Message received.
Garrison, the reigning Class 1 Player of the Year, poured in 16 of his game-high points in the final 10 minutes to help No. 1 Chadwick seal a 64-60 overtime victory over No. 4 Risco.
The thrilling finish matched the rest of the contest, as the two state-ranked titans threw punch and counter-punch at each other throughout the game.
Thanks, in part, to a stingy Risco defensive effort, Garrison was largely bottled up through the first three quarters of the game with only 7 points in the book.
Knowing he was being targeted defensively, Garrison turned into a facilitator for his teammates with repeated drives into the lane culminating with easy assists to the block.
“What we wanted to do is we wanted to get a few reversals in,” Guerin said of the plan to attack Risco’s zone. “We thought if we could get that zone to shift just enough and (Garrison) to make two steps out of the high post to catch, we’re going to get him downhill and try to find (teammates). We told both corners then, ‘You’re diving.’ He’s a good playmaker, he’s going to find the guy down there.”
The Cardinals’ guys down there and big beneficiaries turned out to be Prestin Kinyon and Tristan Smith, who combined for 33 points and a trio of 3-pointers on the evening.
With Chadwick holding a slim, 35-31 after three, Garrison began his one-man assault on the box score.
“(Garrison) is one of those players that you’re not going to hold him forever,” Guerin said. “We thought we could get him one-on-one at the high post – he’s an animal there – and then we got that nice sophomore on the block (Kinyon) that could catch and finish around the rim.
“I thought all of our guys did well tonight, though – it took all of them – but C.G. does it … it’s hard to hold him.”
A breakaway dunk at the 5:03 mark stretched Chadwick’s lead to 8 points – the largest of the evening; however, Risco would not go away quietly.
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Far from it, in fact.
After baskets from Eli Rodgers and Landon Baker brought the Tigers all the way back to tie the game at 42-42 with 2:40 remaining, Brayden Cartillar’s steal and subsequent free throw at the 2:20 mark gave Risco its first lead since the opening quarter (43-42).
Further complicating things for the Cardinals was a 3-8 free throw performance over the game’s final stretch.
“We haven’t done that all year – we don’t make it easy on ourselves,” Guerin said. “I think they like my blood pressure to go up, and I knew their guys – their guys ain’t going to miss free throws. That’s a legit team.”
The two teams took turns grabbing the lead over the next two minutes of play; however, neither was able to hold it for more than a single possession.
After an Owen Fortner basket and Baker free throw put Risco up 49-47 in the final minute, Garrison responded with an acrobatic, 1-on-3 driving basket down the center of the lane to send the game into overtime.
“I told all my guys in the locker room that – no matter what – I promised them we weren’t going to lose that game,” Garrison said. “Just that promise I made to all of them that I didn’t want to lose, and I was just trying my hardest to keep our season going,” Garrison said. “
After a quick 10-2 run stretched the Cardinals’ lead back to eight at 59-51 in the overtime period, Risco – once again – came roaring back,
A wing 3-pointer from Reiley Calvert briefly tied up the game at 61-61 with 10 seconds remaining; however, officials determined Calvert had a foot on the line and changed the basket to a 2-pointer.
Following a pair of immediate fouls, Kinyon and Smith converted 3 of 4 free throws to seal the victory for Chadwick.
After the game, Guerin was quick to recognize the significance of the overturned basket.
“Risco – first and foremost – give them credit,” Geurin said. “That could have went either way. Kid’s toes on the line. I mean, it’s toes across the line or it’s a tie game right there. It’s a different game when it’s tied.”
Guerin was also quick to praise his team’s ability to persevere through adversity throughout the final two periods.
“I’m just so proud of them,” Guerin said. “The youth that we have – we start two seniors, two sophomores and a freshman – the schedule that they’ve played this year. I’ve challenged them. I’ve asked them, every week, to go and play – brutal, brutal, brutal. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.”
Up next for Chadwick (21-7) is a March 14 semifinal round matchup at Mizzou Arena against No. 7 Wheatland (27-3).
Class 1 Quarterfinal: Chadwick – 64, Risco – 60
Risco 12 12 07 18/11 – 60
Chadwick 14 10 11 14/15 – 64
Risco scoring: Owen Fortner – 16, Sammy Smith – 15, Eli Rodgers – 13, Landon Baker – 8, Reiley Calvert – 6, Kadin Carlisle – 2
Chadwick scoring: Clayton Garrison – 25, Tristan Smith – 19, Prestin Kinyon – 14, Creek Guerin – 3, Thayor Little – 3
