Tyler New's Scoop Shot Layup Gives Tigers 49-46 Win Over Rock Port

Worth County’s boys avenged their earlier loss to Rock Port Thursday in the District Semifinals as Tyler New’s scoop shot layup and three point play with 1.3 seconds left gave Worth County a 49-46 win and sent them into the finals with Platte Valley. The win came despite 20 out of Rock Port’s 46 points coming from shots with a hand in their face, including Bannack Skillen hitting guarded shots at will all night. Everybody stepped up in the win; they had to with Jack Meyerkorth holding Tyler New to 12 points for the night. Bo Collins got the rust out of his system from the week and a half layoff and shared scoring honors. Cannon Fletcher continued his late season improvement and grabbed nine boards. Karson Briner also had double figures with 10. But the biggest stat for the night for the Tigers came in the rebounding column. After giving up 15 offensive rebounds in the first game between the two schools, they gave up only four the second time around.

At first, it looked like a long night as Bannack Skillen took over early and Reed Miller added an inside shot to put Rock Port up 7-2 at the 5:45 mark. Hayden Sanders and Cole Ruby stopped the bleeding with 3-pointers for the Tigers, but Skillen slashed his way to the rim again to make it 12-7. But then Tyler New went coast to coast and Hayden Sanders, normally an outside shooter, slashed to the rim to cut it to 12-11. Then, Karson Briner got a block and came away with it after a wild scramble and got it to Tyler New. Briner ran the floor hard on the play, and was rewarded with a layup to put Worth County up 13-12 after one.

Bo Collins’ putback to start the second quarter put the Tigers in front 15-12, but then Bannack Skillen hit a guarded three to tie it up again and the momentum started swinging back to Rock Port. A lob to Corbyn Jakub put the Blue Jays up 17-15, and they led by 1-3 until Cannon Fletcher tied it up at 21 with a 3-pointer with 2:50 left. Skillen’s reverse layup put Rock Port up 23-21, but Bo Collins’ free throw after an offensive board and another free throw from Hayden Sanders knotted it up at 23. Malachi Skillen got loose in transition and made one of two from the line to make it 24-23. Tyler New got a steal and got it to Cannon Fletcher, who aired it out to Bo Collins to give the Tigers a 25-24 lead, but Jack Meyerkorth’s drive at the halftime buzzer put Rock Port up 26-25.

Caleb New’s 3-pointer put Worth County back in front 28-26, and they maintained it for most of the third quarter. Tyler New’s 3-pointer from the baseline made it 32-28, and Cade Makings’ guarded shot from the high post was answered by an inside shot from Bo Collins to make it 34-30. Makings’ tough shot from inside tied it up again at 34, but then four straight from Karson Briner put the Tigers back in front 38-34 after three.

But then Bannack Skillen’s guarded three to start the fourth swung the momentum back in Rock Port’s favor, and they started climbing back into the game. Skillen’s free throws put Rock Port back in front 41-40. Tyler New drove into the lane to make it 42-41 Worth County, but Cade Makings’ putback made it 43-42 Rock Port. Bo Collins’ baseline shot put Worth County ahead 44-43, but then Jack Meyerkorth’s guarded three put Rock Port back in front 46-44.

With three minutes left in the game, Rock Port got a stop and began stalling on offense. They got it all the way down to 1:37 before Jack Meyerkorth missed a runner in the lane and Worth County got the ball back. Tyler New missed a runner, but then stripped Corbyn Jakub of the rebound and tied it up again at 1:10 left. Bo Collins then got a steal with 58 seconds left and Worth County started stalling, getting it down to 17 seconds left.

With time winding out, Tyler New drove in on two blue shirts and got his scoop shot layup to go with 1.3 seconds. Corbyn Jakub tried to step in to take a charge, but New got the benefit of the charge/block call and Jakub picked up his fifth foul in the process. New made the free throw to make it 49-46.

Rock Port inbounded it with a long pass to Ozey Hurst, whose shot that would have sent it to overtime looked like it was going in. But it hit the back of the rim and bounced out, giving Worth County the win. Hurst’s shot was from the same spot on the floor in 2011 where King City’s boys hit an improbable halfcourt shot that sent it to overtime against Northeast Nodaway in the third place game of the King City Tournament. That game went to six overtimes before NEN finally came away with the 100-93 win.

For Worth County, Tyler New and Bo Collins had 12 each. Karson Briner had 10, Hayden Sanders 5, Caleb New 4, and Cole Ruby and Cannon Fletcher 3.

Karson Briner had 2 blocks and Bo Collins 1.

Cannon Fletcher had 9 rebounds. Karson Briner had 8, Bo Collins 6, Tyler New 4, and Cole Ruby 1.

Tyler New had 6 assists. Bo Collins, Cole Ruby, and Karson Briner had 3. Cannon Fletcher had 1.

Cannon Fletcher had 6 tips. Tyler New had 4, Cole Ruby and Hayden Sanders had 2, and Karson Briner 1.

Caleb New, Cole Ruby, Tyler New, and Bo Collins had 1 steal each.

But things all came to a crashing halt Saturday against Platte Valley. The teams played to a 4-4 standoff until the last 2:07 of the first quarter; then, Platte Valley scored nine points in just over two minutes and the rout was on. Worth County had only one senior and two juniors in the rotation; their other five players in the rotation were all freshmen, while Platte Valley plays juniors and seniors in their rotation. Worth County's youth and inexperience showed as they were in over their heads and by the 3:07 mark of the second, it was already 27-6. It ballooned to 34-8 at the half and then Platte Valley scored 29 points in the third quarter to put it away as they came away with a 79-28 win in the District Finals. Bo Collins and Tyler New had 11 in the mismatch. Hayden Sanders and Wyatt Hill had 3 each. Tyler New scored his 1,500th career point at the 4:48 mark of the third quarter.