ROLLA, Mo. - The Fatima Comets battled foul trouble for the better part of the first three quarters of their Class 3 sectional game Wednesday night, somehow cobbling together a lineup that kept them within striking distance of the Mountain Grove Panthers.
Then, when they finally got the starters back together in time for the fourth quarter, everything was just a little off.
The Comets turned the ball over eight times in the fourth quarter alone, and 21 times total, while eventually dropping a 69-59 decision at Missouri S&T.
"We're a team that runs a bunch of stuff, so when you take different combinations and throw them out there, you're constantly searching for what is going to work," Fatima coach Ryan Robertson said. "And that kind of throws off your rhythm a little bit."
That was never more evident than in the fourth quarter, as the Comets turned the ball over on five of their first six possessions.
Still, Fatima was within 63-59 with 1:04 left when Nolan Huot canned a short jumper. Mountain Grove then missed the front end of a 1-and-1, only to see the defensive rebound slip out of a Comets' hands, resulting in a turnover.
The Panthers got the ball back, canned two free throws, and were on their way to a state quarterfinal game Saturday at Drury University in Springfield.
"It kind of slipped away at the end - it was closer than the score," Robertson said. "It was a four-point game and they miss a free throw and if we get the rebound, then it gets interesting. But they miss a free throw, we kick it, they score and the snowball starts."
The game was close throughout, starting with a wildly entertaining first quarter that featured four ties and five lead changes, with Mountain Grove eventually leading 24-19.
The only bad part for Fatima was Huot picked up two fouls in the period, and the Comets' leading offensive threat added his third less than a minute into the second period.
The Comets came out blazing in that second quarter, taking their biggest lead of the night at 30-26 after an 11-2 run that included a 3-pointer by Will Robertson, a layup by Joshua Holtschneider, and 3s by Steven Brandt and James Rakestraw.
"We had guys step up and make plays," Ryan Robertson said.
The Comets took a 32-30 advantage into halftime, and held their final lead of the night when Huot made a layup to make it 34-32 just 30 seconds into the second half.
Will Robertson, the Comets' point guard who saw his effectiveness slowed by two first-half charging calls, got another soon after. And when Huot got his fourth foul with five minutes left in the third, the Comets found themselves somewhat out of sync.
"We've relied on Will going off high-ball screens all year and has done well with that, but (Mountain Grove) had that scouted," Ryan Robertson said. "They jumped it and normally we can reverse out of that and play off the screen, but they did not allow that either. They did a great job defensively on him, and he's our motor guy, so that really affected us."
So with Will Robertson and Huot subbing out often during the rest of the game, the Comets did their best to keep it close. And following a three-point play by Robertson with 1:47 left in the third, it was tied at 45.
But Mountain Grove then got a huge 3-pointer from Cade Coffman - a sophomore who ended up with 18 huge points off the bench - and never trailed again.
D.J. McNew racked up a game-high 19 points to lead Mountain Grove (26-4), while Carter Otwell added 12 and Brock Coffman had 11.
Will Robertson led the Comets (18-11) with 18 points and had a game-high seven rebounds. Brandt hit 5-of-7 3s on his way to 17 points and Huot added 12.
The Comets will graduate a senior class that includes Huot, Robertson, Holtschneider, Rakestraw, Michael Fick and Hunter Hennier.
"You talk about a team growing up over a year, my goodness, from where we were the end of December until now, there's no comparison," Ryan Robertson said. "We are so fortunate because of how they are on and off the court. They've spoiled Fatima over four years in multiple sports and we're going to miss them. We're going to have to have some guys step up next year, that's for sure."