Jerry Gilpatrick Leads JH Shamrock Boys Past Tigers

In the girls game between Worth County and North Harrison, the Tigers avenged an earlier loss to the Shamrocks. But the script flipped for the boys game, as North Harrison turned the tables and reversed the outcome of the boys game, beating Worth County 18-15. They climbed back from nine points down, and Jerry Gilpatrick made some key plays to get them there.

The two teams were mirror images of each other; both were raw, but with a lot of potential. Neither team could solve the other’s defense in the first quarter, and neither team could score. Karsyn Ury opened the scoring for North Harrison with a pair of free throws to start the second, but it looked like the Tigers would have the game well in hand after that. Tyler New hit a triple with 2:38 left and added a steal to finally get the Tigers on the board with a 5-2 lead at the half.

The lead grew in the third quarter as Kolten Smith scored from inside, Tyler New went coast to coast, and added a drive to make it 11-2. North Harrison made one charge as free throws from Gilpatrick and Ury and a transition basket from Gilpatrick made it 11-6, but Worth County turned it back as Kolten Smith scored from inside and Tyler New added a steal to make it 15-6 again before Ury hit with 18 seconds left to cut it to 15-8.

The deficit was daunting given the defensive game, but the Shamrocks were tired of being pushed around and came storming back to start the fourth quarter. Karsyn Ury scored off a drive, Keygun Johnson cut inside, and Ury hit a pair of free throws to cut it to 15-14, and all of a sudden, it was a brand new game.

Finally, big man Cole Kampman got a putback with 2:25 left to put the Shamrocks up 16-15. The teams traded misses and turnovers, and then North Harrison brought it out, trying to run out the clock. Tyler New got a straight steal and looked like he had a wide open layup with 31 seconds left. But Jerry Gilpatrick came out of nowhere to take the charge on defense, and North Harrison got the ball back.

Despite Worth County’s swarming and pressing, North Harrison took 13 seconds off the clock before Worth County could get Jerry Gilpatrick fouled to stop the clock. But Gilpatrick calmly hit both free throws to make it 18-15.

Worth County had a good look at a three, but Cannon Fletcher missed with 2.6 seconds left and the ball went out of bounds off the gold shirts. Carter Chapman got a steal of the inbounds pass, but couldn’t find anyone open for three as time expired.