ELDON - How it happened might keep Blair Oaks coaches, players and fans thinking about it for quite some time. They just know they get to keep going.
Saturday night's 58-57 double-overtime victory for the Blair Oaks Falcons against the Father Tolton Trailblazers in the Class 3 District 9 Tournament championship game left the Falcons' thoughts swirling, wondering how their season didn't end like they thought it did when the scoreboard first hit all zeros.
"I can't imagine that I'd ever be involved in anther game like that in my life," Blair Oaks coach Ryan Fick said. "That's unbelievable."
When Father Tolton senior Jonny Berndt splashed home a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Trailblazers a 58-57 lead in the second overtime period, the buzzer sounded and players and fans rushed the floor in a frantic celebration. Father Tolton just knocked off the top-ranked Falcons.
But after everything settled, :01.6 was put back on the clock, giving Blair Oaks one last shot. It was up to sophomore Quinn Kusgen.
"One dribble, maybe," Kusgen said. "I thought I was really pushing time after I pump-faked once, but time didn't expire."
Kusgen took the in-bounds pass from Luke Northweather just before reaching half court, got two Father Tolton defenders to jump as he dribbled once to his left to get just past half court and let the shot go with his right hand.
He thought it was short. It was perfect, and it sent the Blair Oaks players, coaches and fans in the same frenzy Father Tolton had just experienced.
"There's luck involved in that," Fick said. "You can practice that all day. You've got to have a little luck, and we had a little luck."
Like a lot of players, Kusgen likes to try those types of shots.
"About once a week in practice I maybe throw up a few half-court shots just messing around," Kusgen said.
Messing around paid off Saturday night in a defeat of the fourth-ranked team and a spot in Wednesday's sectional game against Butler (15-13) at Sedalia Smith-Cotton. Tip-off is at 7:45 p.m.
"I don't even know what to say," Fick said. "We get to practice Monday."
Both teams got off to a fast start, trading baskets for the entire first quarter with the Trailblazers leading 15-13.
But Father Tolton caught fire to start the second, getting 3-pointers from Justin Boyer and Nate Schwartze plus a Deuce Tatum layup for a 23-13 lead just two minutes into the quarter.
"I knew we had a run in us," Kusgen said.
They did. Kusgen got a 6-0 spurt started with a floater and Blair Oaks (26-2) eventually took the lead on an Eric Northweather three-point play with :20 left in the second quarter to make the halftime score 30-29.
Northweather had a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds. But it wasn't an easy 21 points.
"Our bigs had to really work for everything tonight," Fick said.
Luke Northweather made 7-of-8 shots for 19 points to go with nine rebounds.
Kusgen was able to drive in for a few layups and finished with 12 points.
Father Tolton scored the first eight points of the second half, holding Blair Oaks scoreless for nearly the first four minutes of the third quarter.
"They were guarding our sets really well all night, especially in the second half," Fick said. "They were really doing a good job of jamming our cuts to the post."
The Trailblazers led by as many as eight at 39-31 before another Blair Oaks run.
Father Tolton's lead was down to 43-39 by the end of the third quarter and the Falcons took the lead at 46-45 on an Eric Northweather 3.
The game was tied at 49 at the end of regulation after Father Tolton missed a half-court shot.
Neither team scored in the final 1:41 of the first overtime to take a tie at 54 into a second overtime period.
"Going into overtime, I thought we were gonna win it," Kusgen said.
Jevon Porter, who fouled out, scored 15 points to lead Father Tolton. Berndt and Schwartze each added 10.
Father Tolton ends the season at 20-5.