Kennett rallies past Charleston in SEMO consolation bracket

SIKESTON — Charleston had Kennett on the ropes, but the second half told a different story.

Fueled by an unrelenting will to win, the ninth-seeded Indians (2-3) roared back to claim a dramatic 77-74 win over the seventh-seeded Blue Jays (1-4) in the consolation bracket of the SEMO Conference Tournament at the Field House on Tuesday, Dec. 10.

“I was not in love with the way we were playing at first,” said Kennett coach Seth McBroom. “But in the second half, we kept battling and I did love the way we finished the game.”

The Blue Jays dictated the pace early, using crisp ball movement and active defense to build a comfortable first-half lead.

However, despite the advantage, Charleston seemed to lack energy and urgency, leaving the door cracked for Kennett to claw its way back.

“As a whole, we were so flustered,” McBroom said. “There wasn’t a large crowd and it was late at night. It seemed like everybody was just going through the motions.”

Antonio Flakes gave the Indians a spark just before halftime, draining a contested 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 38-29 and inject life into a sluggish offense.

“We hit that shot and that helped,” McBroom said. “Then we had a fun conversation at halftime and the kids responded. They just knew that quitting was not an option. We always have a chance. We chipped away and some good things happened for us.”

Kennett carried that belief into the second half, but Charleston maintained control for much of the third and early fourth quarters.

The Blue Jays’ steady play kept the Indians at arm’s length until the closing minutes when the Indian’s pressure defense and timely shooting turned the tide.

Down 66-57 with about five minutes left to play, Kennett’s comeback began with a clutch 3-pointer by Dyson Watson.

A short time later. Flakes absorbed contact and finished an and-one play.

Watson then stuck again, burying another 3-pointer to narrow the deficit to 67-66 with 3:29 left in the game.

The Indians seized the lead moments later, capitalizing on a defensive stop to take a 68-67 edge.

Then Watson extended the margin, finishing in transition after a steal to push the lead to 70-67.

From there, the game turned into a battle of wills.

Charleston’s Deshaun Henderson trimmed the lead to one with a layup at the 1:55 mark, but Watson responded by calmly sinking two free throws on Kennett’s next possession.

A midrange jumper by Charleston’s Trenez Lane cut the lead to 72-71, setting up a tense final minute.

With the game on the line, Watson again delivered, driving into the lane and finishing through contact to make it 74-71 with 56.9 seconds left.

Charleston had opportunities to close the gap, but Kennett’s defense held firm, forcing tough shots and controlling the boards down the stretch.

“Even when we had the lead, I felt like we were still playing flat,” said Charleston coach Jamarcus Williams. “I was hoping that we would increase our sense of urgency and intensity in the second half. We came out on a decent run, but Kennett wouldn’t go away and answered back. They wanted it more and we let them get comfortable.”

Watson and Flakes iced the game at the free-throw line, each sinking clutch foul shots to secure the win and cap off the gritty comeback.

Watson finished with a game-high 28 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, while Flakes added 17 to lead the Indians’ charge.

The Blue Jays’ attack was led by Treshaun Schandon, who finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, and a steal. Trenez Lane contributed significantly with 12 points, five steals, three assists, and two rebounds; Deshaun Henderson added 12 points and eight rebounds, while Shilyn Henderson chipped in with 11 points, three offensive rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

The victory keeps Kennett alive, advancing to take on sixth-seeded New Madrid County Central on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. with a spot in the consolation championship hanging in the balance.

__KENNETT 77, CHARLESTON 74__

Kennett 9 20 24 24 — 77

Charleston 18 20 18 18 — 74

Kennett (77) — Dyson Watson 28, Antonio Flakes 17, Hayden Gilmore 10, Sire Thomas 10, Zayne Franklin 7, Ty Jones 5. FG: 29. FT: 14-19. F: 10. (3-pointers: Watson 4, Flakes 1. Fouled out: None.)

Charleston (74) — Treshaun Schandon 16, Trenez Lane 12, Deshaun Henderson 12, Shilyn Henderson 11, D’Kyrious Williams 10, Marquan Springfellow 7, Martavious Biles 6. FG: 32. FT: 7-11. F: 14. (3-pointers: Williams 2, Springfellow 1. Fouled out: None.)