North Harrison’s boys had to play Gilman City twice in four days – once on the 19th, when North Harrison was victorious in their Homecoming game. The second was when they were paired against each other again during the first round of the Gilman City Tournament. The Shamrocks saw their life flash before their eyes at one point, and they needed an extra period to do it, but they pulled off the 63-60 overtime victory over the Hawks to advance to the second round against Pattonsburg Tuesday.
In the first half, North Harrison could do no wrong, working the offensive glass to the tune of many extra possessions. In the second half, the Shamrocks couldn’t buy a board and Gilman City came back to force overtime and nearly win it. But then North Harrison didn’t give up a single offensive glass in the extra period and then pulled back in front to win it.
Neither team could get in front by more than one possession for most of the first quarter before Dakota Boe got loose for Gilman City inside to put them up 13-9 with 18 seconds. But then Collin Castleberry took on two blue shirts for a layup with 4.3 seconds left and then Logan Huitt stole a lazy inbounds pass to tie it up at the buzzer at 13.
North Harrison finally looked like they would take control in the second quarter. Cornelius Peery picked up his third foul for Gilman City in the second quarter and Collin Castleberry hit from the right wing off a pass from Grant Claycomb, Claycomb hit a triple after a fifth chance possession that enraged Gilman City Coach Adam Clark, and Brett Emig hit twice from outside to make it 26-17 with 1:57 left.
But Gilman City put Peery back in, and the Hawks started to catch up, cutting North Harrison’s lead to 26-23 at the half as Kaleb Bjornlie banked one home at the break.
In the third quarter, it was Gilman City which was working the offensive glass at will, erasing North Harrison’s lead by the 5:41 mark after Boe had scooped up a loose carom to tie it at 28. The game stayed at one possession until Grant Claycomb’s second three temporarily restored order and put North Harrison back up 37-33, but then Boe got loose in transition to tie it at 37. Gilman City had a chance to go ahead, but Steven Willhite’s chasedown stuff preserved the tie at the buzzer.
Still, things looked grim for North Harrison as Gilman City moved in front by four as Peery stayed on the floor for the Hawks in the second half and he and Bjornlie began to assert themselves. It was 45-41 before Steven Willhite, who had been bottled up by a triangle and two on him and Logan Craig, finally got loose for three and Gavin Garrett added a putback to put North Harrison back in front 46-45 with 3:05 left.
Gage Sperry’s triple put Gilman City back in front 48-46, but consecutive drives by Collin Castleberry put North Harrison in front again with 1:54 left at 50-48. Sperry missed two free throws on the ensuing possession, but then two Shamrocks tangled up going after the loose ball with no Hawks anywhere nearby, and the ball squirted out of bounds back to Gilman City. Given the second chance, Sperry hit from the high post to tie it, and then Bjornlie’s coast to coast look with 57 seconds left made it 52-50.
Collin Castleberry’s shot rimmed out with 50 seconds and Mitchell Sievering’s free throw made it 53-50 with 46 seconds left. But then Brett Emig, who hit a game-tying three against Grundy County in North Harrison’s 76-71 overtime win, did so again to tie it at 53 with 26 seconds left.
Sievering missed a runner for Gilman City and Brett Emig tried to go coast to coast with it to break the tie, but the Hawks had a foul to give and they fouled Emig to stop the break and force North Harrison to go up against five players to win it.
At that point, North Harrison’s life flashed before their eyes. Working the ball for a last shot, Kaleb Bjornlie jumped a pass and had nothing but daylight between him and the basket. But his wide open layup from the right side went off the back of the iron and off the other side as time expired and North Harrison had a new lease on life.
The extra period was tied at 55 and 57 before Bjornlie’s free throw put Gilman City up 58-57 with 1:35 left. But Logan Craig’s putback put North Harrison back up 59-58 with 1:06 left on a third chance possession and Gilman City turned it over. Collin Castleberry’s free throw made it 60-58, and Gilman City turned it over again. Brett Emig had a chance for a dagger as he drove, but he missed a runner. But then Collin Castleberry blocked Bjornlie after he tried to go coast to coast with it and Logan Huitt got the board and drew the foul with 30 seconds left. He made one of two to make it 61-58.
Peery made a runner with 18 seconds left and Gilman City put on a frantic press in an effort to get the ball back. But nobody protected the basket, and Brett Emig got behind the defense and connected on a long pass from Collin Castleberry to make it 63-60. North Harrison protected the perimeter well and Gilman City missed a runner in the closing seconds as Logan Huitt grabbed the final board.
With Logan Craig and Steven Willhite bottled up by the triangle and two, someone else had to step up, and Collin Castleberry and Brett Emig both had 19 points for the Shamrocks. Logan Craig had 9, Grant Claycomb 6, Gavin Garrett 4, and Steven Willhite and Logan Huitt 3 each.
Steven Willhite had 5 blocks for the night, and Collin Castleberry had 1.
North Harrison had 47 boards for the night. Logan Craig had 16 boards. Collin Castleberry had 9, Steven Willhite 8, Brett Emig 6, Logan Huitt 5, and Gavin Garrett 3.
Collin Castleberry had 6 assists for the Shamrocks. Steven Willhite had 4, Grant Claycomb 2, and Collin Briggs, Brett Emig, and Logan Craig had 1. Brett Emig had 2 tips while Grant Claycomb and Steven Willhite had 1. Logan Huitt and Gavin Garrett had 2 steals each, while Collin Castleberry, Collin Briggs, and Brett Emig had 1 each.
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