Eads Boys Stage 16-Point OT Comeback over McClave, 69-65

Qualify for Regional Tournament

By Betsy Barnett

March 5, 2004

After a near self-destruction second quarter in the District 2 semifinal contest against McClave on Friday night the Eads Eagles managed to pull off a thrilling 16-point comeback overtime win over the McClave Cardinals. Eads had beaten the Cardinals in an OT contest in early January and it was "rewind and play it again" time for Eads who trailed the Cardinals early in the third quarter by sixteen points. The win moved Eads into this weekend’s Regional Tournament. They will enter as the second seed from District 2 after losing the district championship on Saturday night, 52-45, to Kit Carson. McClave’s season ended with the loss.

McClave came out scorching hot hitting for 22 points to Eads’ 14 behind four triples from the Cardinal guards. Eads would hang with the Cardinals with senior leadership including a three from Levi Kraft and Steven Gilmore’s perfect six for six from the free throw line. Eads continued to experience frustration as lackluster defense turned into 16 more points for McClave including a second of four treys from senior hotshot Jeremy Mallard. The Cardinals would hit for 16 more points while holding the frustrated Eagles to just 10 points spread out over a number of players. It looked like the reigning state champions would not be making another appearance at the state tournament this year with Eads trailing 38-24 at half. Senior post Chad Sniff would add a bucket to start the third and McClave was up by 16 until the Eagles seniors decided they didn’t want their season to end just yet. While Steven Gilmore continued to struggle offensively he picked up the defensive side in a big way as his intensity on Mallard was contagious and the rest of the Eagles answered with twice the defense they had shown in the first half. Kraft, with Gilmore’s assistance, began to knock on the door offensively and as Eads began to score their defense tightened the noose around the Cardinal’s necks. Slowly but surely Eads made progress. By the end of the third they trailed by only six.

Kraft would begin the final stanza with a strong message to the Cardinals as he nailed a triple to start the fourth. The defense for Eads continued to be huge as they forced bad shots from the Cardinals who were beginning to panic. Dain Barnett would drive through the lane with 6:12 remaining putting Eads over the top and leading for the first time in the contest 44-43. The score teetered back and forth for the next two minutes as both teams were in the bonus and the game came down to the free throws. At the 5:01 mark Steven Gilmore hit two frees keeping Eads on top, 49-48. But by the 4:30 mark things began to get even more dramatic as Eads’ big man, Adam Saffer, fouled out with 10 points and, more importantly, nine rebounds. To add insult to injury Mallard nailed a three immediately after Saffer’s departure bringing McClave back to the forefront, 51-49. With 1:40 remaining Mallard hit the back-end of a two shot foul and put his team in good position leading 54-50. But Eads would storm back on the charity line with Gilmore hitting three for four. Eads would trail by a bucket with less than a minute to go when Marcus Gilmore leapt above the crowd putting in an offensive board and knotting the score at 56-56. Then disaster. With :27 remaining Eads lost Steven Gilmore to the bench and Cody Myers would manage one-of-two on the line bringing McClave back ahead 57-56. Eads had the ball and a chance to go ahead. Kraft calmly eyed and skied from three point land erupting the Eagle crowd. Eads now led with only seconds remaining, 59-57. They would swarm the three point line where Mallard and Noel Cardinelli were the most dangerous to them. With :08 remaining Mallard found Cardinelli under the bucket for an uncontested bucket and a tie ball game.

The OT was infamous as Mallard offered up yet another thre, midway through, that seemed to stagger the Eagles for a moment. With two starters out Coach Randel had to rely on freshman Trice Watts to pick up where Gilmore left off. And Watts would answer with a long bucket from the right baseline knotting it at 65-65 with less than a minute to go. Barnett would put Eads up 67-65 after hitting for two free throws. Then it was Kraft’s turn at the line. He hit the first with :31 seconds remaining putting Eads up 68-65. But the second one was short. Somehow the "krafty" senior managed to grab his own rebound while four Cardinals stood and watched. Eads tried to run out the time. Barnett would be fouled with :19 remaining. He would hit the first one putting Eads up by four 69-65, and forcing a two possession game for the Cardinals. And the defense held strong. Mallard finally forced up a shot that went out of bounds giving Eads the ball and the right to advance to the regional tournament in La Junta.

Gilmore scored 21 points before fouling out while Kraft was the force that brought Eads back in the game and kept them there. He would add 19 points, 16 of which came in the second half. Marcus Gilmore was invaluable at the point guard for Eads giving up five assists and pulling down ten boards including the offensive put back that tied the game in regulation.

In the championship contest on Saturday night Eads gave the No. 1 ranked Kit Carson Wildcats all they could handle and threatened to break the game open in the waning minutes of the contest. However, the loss to fouls of both Kraft and Steven Gilmore late in the fourth quarter was too much for the Eagles to overcome.

This was a hard fought contest from the tipoff as both teams played excellent defense and adjusted to the strengths and weaknesses of each player. Kraft was again stellar for Eads hitting four triples in the first half. Steven Gilmore, too, paced Eads with 17 points including three long balls but on this night he struggled mightily on the offensive side. Eads led at halftime 24-22 and Carson roared back leading by two after the third, 35-33. It would come down to the ever important fourth quarter. The Eagles would tie the game on Barnett’s free throws, but they could not contend with Carson’s 6’9 Jake Trahern on the inside and three excellent shooters from the outside. Eads would be forced to foul and Carson would answer hitting eight-of-eleven freebies in the final minutes of the game.

Eads and KC enter the regional tournament on Friday in La Junta’s high school gymnasium. Eads will look to revenge an earlier loss to Walsh who beat Eads in the pre-Christmas season, 50-46. Eads and Walsh will square off at 5:15 PM. The Cats will host the night cap against Vilas with game time slated for 8 PM. The winners in this Regional tournament advance to next week’s final show, the state tournament in Pueblo.