Feb. 24, 2011 - In an edge-of-your-seat, nail-biter of a game Saturday, the Leonard Tigers played their hearts out in a third place district tie-breakeragainst a team they had already defeated in regular season twice - Rivercrest. If the schools had decided at their district meeting to go by head-to-head competition during regular play to determine tie-breakers, Leonard would've been in the play-offs automatically.
The schools, however, decided that teams tying in a play-off spot due to having the same record would play a tie-breaker game. And that is how the Tigers ended up in a third game against Rivercrest, and their final game of the season. The game was tit for tat, with neither team gaining more than a handful of points against the other, and came down to the final shot at the final second.
In the first eight minutes of the game, Rivercrest had sent Leonard to the line three times for foul calls, but one Rivercrest player made up for the errors by hitting three shots from beyond the arch. Rivercrest led the Tigers by one, 13-12, at the end of the first quarter. Leonard put up a couple of three-pointers in the second from Blake Hicks and Storm Taylor and two-pointers from Taylor, Jacob Redmon, Aaron Shanks and Max Scoggins, but also found themselves in some foul trouble with point guard Tyler Turner having four fouls by the end of the first half and having to take a seat on the bench. Rivercrest earned five free points in the second, along with 13 more from the field, and they led the Tigers 31-28 at half time.
The Tigers bounced back in the third and chipped away at the lead that Rivercrest had clenched since the first quarter. Three-pointers from Christian Lyday and Blake Hicks and two-pointers from Hicks, Taylor and Shanks brought them to and ahead of the opposing team's score for a time, but Rivercrest answered back with their own points and the two teams were tied at 40 at the start of the final quarter.
Turner, who had re-entered the game late in the third quarter, was able to put up a two and three freebies in the fourth before committing his fifth and final foul. A two by Matthew Wilson and three-pointer by Blake Hicks put the Tigers up with two minutes left in the game. Leonard had three opportunities at one-and-one free throws near the end, but were unable to capitalize on the first shot any of the three attempts. With the score at 48-50 Leonard, Rivercrest got the ball with six seconds remaining and made a pass to KeKe Savage in the corner who released a three-point shot a split second before the buzzer sounded. His shot swished through the net and the Rebels claimed third place in district to advance to bi-district play.
Point totals for Leonard were Blake Hicks - 11, Storm Taylor - 10, Jacob Redmon - 2, Tyler Turner - 7, Aaron Shanks - 4, Christian Lyday - 3, Matthew Wilson - 7, and Max Scoggins - 6.
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