Worth County stunned previously unbeaten Green City Thursday 63-60 in Trenton at the Holiday Hoops classic. The girls fell 48-32. How well Worth County’s boys have done depends on which team has shown up. They had an impressive win over Northeast Nodaway, played a good game but lost to Mound City, and got another impressive win over North Andrew. But then they dropped a 57-56 heartbreaker to St. Joseph Christian and then played their worst game of the year, an 84-53 thrashing at Mount Ayr.
But against Green City, the Tigers grabbed the lead, held it for most of the game, lost it in the fourth quarter, but regained it and hit their free throws down the stretch to gain the win despite horrific foul trouble.
Both teams started off red hot, but Aydan Gladstone kept the Tigers in the game as he scored the first eight points of the game for Worth County. Green City led 9-8 at one point, but then Brent Harris got a steal, Jackson Runde aired it out, and Tyler New finished for the Tigers. Aydan Gladstone added a free throw and Jackson Runde buried a three to make it 14-9. Runde’s second triple gave Worth County a 19-13 lead after one.
The Tigers continued to put on a clinic through the first part of the second quarter, going ahead by as much as 28-17 after Grant Cameron hit Tyler New, who slashed to the basket. But then Jackson Runde picked up his third, and then Gladstone picked up his third and fourth fouls as Green City started chipping away at the free throw line. Tyler New and Grant Cameron kept Worth County afloat, but by the half, it was down to 33-30.
Jackson Runde put the Tigers on his back to start the third quarter, getting a three point play and scoring off a drive to make it 38-30. The Gophers cut it back down to 38-35 after a guarded three, but Tyler New and Jackson Runde slashed to the rim and Jackson Smith got a pass from Levi Cassavaugh and hit a 3-pointer to make it 45-35.
Runde picked up his fourth foul trying to jump a pass, but Worth County maintained its cushion until the end of the third, when a defensive lapse at the buzzer sparked the Gophers, who came up red hot to start the fourth quarter. By the six minute mark, the lead was gone as Landon Fields put Green City ahead 52-51.
Things threatened to go from bad to worse when Runde picked up his fifth foul on a charge/block situation, and the Gophers led by as much as 56-52 at the 3:51 mark. But Aydan Gladstone kept the Tigers in the game with a 3-pointer after Tyler New kicked one out to him. Green City missed a 3-pointer, and Jackson Smith found Gladstone inside with 2:01 left as the Tigers regained the lead at 57-56. Tyler New got a steal and then fed Aydan Gladstone in transition, and his free throws put Worth County up 59-56.
Green City worked the ball inside to cut it to 59-58 with 1:25 left, but then Levi Cassavaugh, who saw extended minutes Thursday, hit two free throws with 52 seconds left to extend it to three at 61-58. Green City missed a tying three, but the ball went out off Worth County, and Asher Briggs-Tipton’s putback cut it to one again at 61-60 with 23 seconds left.
Jackson Smith made one out of two with 20 seconds left to make it 62-60, and Green City’s go-ahead three with 7 seconds left was in and out. Levi Cassavaugh got the defensive board and was fouled with 4.4 seconds left, hitting one of two to make it 63-60. Green City rushed it up the floor, but Landon Fields’ prayer from 35 feet was wild, and Worth County came away with the win.
Aydan Gladstone had 19 points for the Tigers. Jackson Runde had 17, Tyler New 11, Jackson Smith 7, Grant Cameron 4, Levi Cassavaugh 3, and Brent Harris 2.
Jackson Runde had 6 rebounds. Jackson Smith and Tyler New had 4 each, Levi Cassavaugh and Grant Cameron 3, and Aydan Gladstone 2.
Tyler New had 9 assists for the Tigers. Jackson Smith had 5, Aydan Gladstone, Levi Cassavaugh, and Grant Cameron each had 2, and Jackson Runde had 1.
But the biggest stat of the game was in the turnover category. Worth County only turned the ball over 8 times despite facing nonstop Gopher pressure all game. Also impressive was their play on the boards, in which they only gave up 7 offensive boards, and the free throws, in which they shot 16 of 21 from the line.
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