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Clarkton ends Risco's district title streak 82-73
RISCO -- A span of 18 seconds was enough to close the book on Risco's district reign.
A flurry of seven points in under 20 seconds was the blow Clarkton needed to halt Risco's streak of four consecutive district titles and led to an 82-73 victory Thursday during the Class 1, District 1 championship game in front of a raucous crowd at Risco High School.
"That run was a pretty tough blow," Risco head coach Brandon Blankenship said. "That hurt."
Risco's consecutive championship streak began a year after the Reindeer won their last district title during the 2008-09 season.
"It is a great feeling to bring a district championship back to Clarkton," Clarkton head coach Dustin Ferguson said. "I grew up here, played here and now to lead them as a coach means a lot to me."
As he's done all season, Risco's Jordon Pavy led all scorers with 25 points. The senior fouled out late in the fourth quarter putting an end to a stellar career which left him as the school's second all-time leading scorer.
"We've been coming together at the right time," Pavy said about their recent district success. "This time, Clarkton pushed it towards the end."
This meeting between the two conference rivals was filled with big shots, huge momentum swings and it's share of emotion -- much like all their meetings do. The outcome was never clear until the Reindeer pulled off a run that sucked the life out of the yellow-clad faithful and sent Clarkton fans into a frenzy.
Clarkton senior Reid Morgan sparked the eventual game-clinching run by burying a 3-pointer to give the Reindeer a 67-61 lead with 2:55 remaining. Clarkton immediately turned up the defensive pressure on the inbound play and senior Dylan White, Clarkton's leading scorer, came up with a steal and a score moments later. Another steal and layup caused by their press, this time by freshman Emanuel White at the 2:33 mark, put the Reindeer ahead 71-61 and forced Risco to burn a timeout to try and stop the bleeding.
"We had a little bit harder time handling the ball this time around," Pavy said about Clarkton's fateful run. "Their coach has been preaching to them about toughness. They definitely picked it up."
Risco's demise began with Clarkton's insurmountable run. The end became clear when the leaders of their recent district run started to exit the game.
Pavy eventually fouled out while the two teams traded baskets for the next minute-and-a-half and the Clarkton lead stood at eight. Pavy's last shot was a missed 3-pointer that would have cut their deficit to five with just over a minute left but it fell short. He then committed his fifth foul to stop the clock with 59 seconds left.
Moments later, Risco's inside presence, Brandon Bixler, left the game after falling on his back while trying to gain position during a rebound. The senior, who scored 17 points and kept numerous possessions alive with offensive rebounds, did not return as another senior, Josh Earnheart, fouled out soon after.
"Those are our seniors and our leaders," Blankenship said. "When Pavy, Bixler and Earnheart go out, it's going to be tough for us. Those three seniors have really been our leaders for awhile. They've been our most productive guys on the floor and we're definitely going to miss them."
Though free throws and a traditional 3-point play by Cody Young trimmed Risco's deficit to four with 39 seconds to go, Clarkton continued to sink their foul shots while the Tigers came up short. The Reindeer hit 11 of 15 free throws in the final quarter.
"We have talked all year about our press giving us big runs and tonight it paid off. We play the game in series of runs like most teams do, but tonight we dug deep and made a big run in crunch time. It's really a credit to our conditioning and toughness."
Morgan, who ended the game with 21 points which included four 3-pointers, was the catalyst for Clarkton during most of their defining moments. On top of his game-changing 3-pointer, he later pounced on a loose ball and called a timeout that sealed any hopes of a Risco comeback.
Dylan White led the Reindeer with 24 points and was part of a group that tried to contain Risco's scoring duo of Pavy and Bixler.
"You couldn't script it any better," Ferguson said about Morgan and White. "Those two have been a part of a couple teams that have came up short and they wanted to win so bad. Those two were awesome tonight. They hit huge shots and were responsible for some great defense on Pavy and Bixler."
The only time Risco looked to be in total control was late in the third quarter. The Tigers hit the final six shots of the period which included a 3-point play by Bixler and back to back baskets by Drew Fortner and Pavy to put the Tigers ahead 52-44 with 46 seconds left in the frame.
Starting with a Morgan 3-pointer, however, Clarkton finished the third on a 7-2 run but Risco led 54-51 heading into the fourth quarter.
"Every time we would hit a big shot, they would hit a big shot," Blankenship said. "It was back and forth so you definitely have to tip you cap to Clarkton."
A 3-pointer by Clarkton's Marco Alvarado tied the game at 56-all early in the fourth quarter. White scored during Clarkton's next possession to give his team a lead they would never relinquish.
"I told them just to stay focused and grind," Ferguson said. "We knew they were going to make runs, but we just wanted to keep our composure and play the game. It's a long game and they understood that."
Risco shot just 36 percent from the floor in the first half and shot 3 of 14 (21 percent) in the first quarter where they fell behind 13-7. A 3-pointer by Pavy with 23 seconds left in the first half looked to have given the Tigers a lead going into halftime, but Dylan White answered with a 3-pointer of his own to send Clarkton into the break with a 30-29 advantage.
"Clarkton just kept coming," said Blankenship. "They kept coming at us and it just came down to making plays. They made more of them."
Clarkton moves on to the Class 1 sectional game on Tuesday where they will face Scott County Central at Bloomfield High School at 7:45 p.m. The Braves defeated Leopold 64-62 during the Class 1, District 2 championship at Delta High School.
"They have dominated the area for so long and have a great squad this year," said Ferguson about his upcoming matchup with Scott Central. "We will go back to work tomorrow and be ready to play on Tuesday."
| Risco | 7 | 22 | 25 | 19 | -- | 73 |
| Clarkton | 13 | 17 | 21 | 31 | -- | 82 |
RISCO (73) -- Luke Simmons 13, Drew Fortner 6, Cody Young 10, Jordon Pavy 25, Ethan Young 2, Brandon Bixler 17. FG 29 FT 10-19 F 24. (3-pointers: Simmons 2, Pavy 3. Fouled out: Earnheart, Young, Pavy.)
CLARKTON (82) -- Marco Alvarado 14, Dylan White 24, Donte McBride 10, Antwoine Johnson 9, Emanuel White 4, Reid Morgan 21. FG 28 FT 20-30 F 21. (3-pointers: Alvarado 1, D. White 1, Morgan 4. Fouled out: McBride.)