Menu
Bernie outduels East Prairie in OT to claim third place at BCT
BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Bernie and East Prairie left it all on the court Monday in an overtime classic that showcased everything great about the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament.
In a game that feature eight lead changes and countless highlights, the fourth-seeded Mules (6-3) late-game execution secured a thrilling 67-66 overtime victory over the the second-seeded Eagles (7-2).
“We’ve had a lot of injuries to some really key players,” said Bernie coach Jason Long. “We knew for us to play well in this tournament that kids were going to have to step up. That’s what happened and what I probably liked more than anymore. I felt like we had a couple of kids that were talented enough to step up, they just needed to believe in themselves.”
It was one of six overtime games in this year’s tournament, setting a new record.
Bernie’s sophomore John Aycock immediately made his presence felt, opening the scoring with a strong move in the post off an entry pass. Despite being one of the younger players on the court, Aycock proved he wasn’t intimidated, setting the tone for a standout performance.
Aycock finished with 17 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and one steal, delivering in every facet of the game.
“He’s played well all year, Long said. “He’s a confident kid. We rebounded, blocked shots and had some big points late in the game. I’m just real proud of his effort.”
East Prairie seemed slightly off rhythm early, perhaps still reeling from its semifinal loss. The Eagles missed two relatively straightforward layups in the opening minutes, but senior Tripp Shoemaker brought energy and physicality to the paint, grabbing offensive rebounds and providing a solid defensive presence.
Shoemaker’s hustle was evident when he powered through a crowd of defenders to clean up a missed shot, tying the game at 7-7. Ty Wallace followed with a layup off a turnover to give the Eagles a 9-7 edge.
East Prairie’s defensive intensity began to create opportunities, with Johnson converting a steal into a fastbreak layup for an 11-7 lead.
Shortly after, Connor Marcum reached a career milestone, scoring his 1,000th point on a fastbreak layup that pushed the lead to 13-7.
The Eagles closed the first quarter up 15-10, capped by Wallace’s buzzer-beater from just inside the arc.
Bernie adjusted in the second quarter, executing effective offensive sets to generate easy looks inside. Taven Owens tied the game at 20-20 with a free throw, but Marcum answered with a bucket in the paint. Owens struck again with a jumper to knot the score at 22-22 before East Prairie took a 24-22 halftime lead, thanks to Johnson’s coast-to-coast finish in the final minute.
The Eagles started the third quarter strong, extending their lead to seven points behind Shoemaker’s inside finish, a Wallace 3-pointer, and a conventional 3-point play by Johnson.
But the Mules caught fire from deep late in the period.
Blayne Morgan sparked the rally, draining back-to-back triples, the first of which came after he loudly signaled for the ball and capitalized on a defensive miscue.
Moments later, Braxton Arnold kept the momentum rolling with two more long-range bombs, giving Bernie a 39-37 lead and forcing East Prairie to take a timeout with 2:30 left in the third quarter.
“That’s a couple of sophomores that had to shoot it with confidence,” Long said. “They’re capable and stepped up.”
The Mules capped the shooting surge with a perfectly timed backdoor play in the dying moments of the third quarter as Morgan, using a slick fake to beat his defender, delivered a precise pass to Hunter Massey for the easy layup, giving Bernie a 43-40 lead as the teams entered the final frame.
“We had a short clock and were just looking to get a quick basket,” Long said. “We dribbled it hard, turned the corner, and tried to get the guy on the backdoor cut. [Morgan] did a really good job of being on a string with [Massey]. It was a good sharp cut, pass and layup. It was really solid execution by our kids."
East Prairie refused to back down, tying the game at 55-55 late in regulation when Wallace drained a 3-pointer off a crisp assist from Marcum. The Eagles briefly seized control when Pyper Rendon’s steal led to a fastbreak two-handed slam by Johnson, putting East Prairie ahead 57-55 with 33.7 seconds remaining.
However, Bernie responded immediately with Morgan attacking the rim with urgency, splitting two defenders for a layup to tie the game at 57-57 with 21.3 seconds left. Amid the back-and-forth, the Mules’ mental toughness and ability to weather big moments were pivotal in the victory.
“It was a great job of realizing the moment,” Long said. “They were still in transition and he pushed up the floor, made a great move and got a big basket. I felt like that took the wind out of their sails after that big dunk.”
In overtime, East Prairie took a 61-60 lead after capitalizing on a chaotic Bernie inbound attempt. Johnson smartly avoided contact as the ball deflected to him, converting an uncontested layup. But Aycock quickly answered, sinking two clutch free throws to put Bernie back on top.
“We shot the free throw poorly,” Long said. “But, oddly enough, we made some clutch ones in overtime. That was big.”
Bernie extended its lead to 66-61 on a fastbreak layup by Morgan with under a minute left, but East Prairie fought back with two free throws from Carson Groves, narrowing the deficit to 66-63 with 26.7 seconds remaining.
The Eagles had a final chance after Johnson blocked a Bernie shot, but Aycock’s crucial steal on an inbound pass effectively sealed the game.
Morgan added a free throw to make it a two-possession game before Marcum hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to close the gap to one.
“It was just a gutsy effort,” Long said. “I feel great because we were able to win a tough overtime game against a dang good team.”
Aycock wasn’t the only Mule to step up in the big moment. Morgan added 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting while dishing out six assists; Braxton Arnold contributed 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, along with one assist, one steal, and one block and Cade Arnold chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds, rounding out a balanced effort.
East Prairie also had multiple players rise to the occasion. Johnson led the Eagles with 26 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, three blocks, and two assists.
While Marcum added 14 points, five assists, five rebounds, and two steals; Wallace contributed 13 points, four steals, and two assists; and Shoemaker tallied in 11 points, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.
“When you have an off-shooting night you must play exceptional defense to beat a good team,” said East Prairie coach Gary Scott. “We did not do that. We needed one stop at the end of regulation and could not get it. We didn’t do a good enough job of closing out on shooters throughout the game and it showed. Bernie shot exceptionally well from the perimeter. Hopefully, we learn and grow from this and figure out how to win in these situations.”
East Prairie hosts New Madrid County Central (1-7) while Bernie will host Clarkton (1-7) on Tuesday, Jan. 7.