Bryson Badgley sinks free throws with 0.4 seconds left; sends McClain past Whiteoak
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
MOWRYSTOWN — Having less than a second remaining on the clock after being fouled, the McClain Tigers sent Bryson Badgley to the free-throw line in hopes of erasing a one-point deficit against Highland County counterpart Whiteoak, Saturday night.
Inside the packed Whiteoak High School Gym, Badgley went to the line, and the sophomore sank the first of two attempts, tying the score at 41. Badgley wasn’t finished, though, as the next free-throw attempt — with all eyes in the gym watching his every move — sank the second attempt as well, sending the visiting Tigers to a 42-41 non-conference win.
Badgley finished the game with 21 points to lead the Tigers, with four two-point baskets, three 3-pointers and he was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
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The two Highland County counterparts — with McClain (5-11) representing the Frontier Athletic Conference (FAC) and Whiteoak (6-12) representing the Southern Hills Athletic Conference (SHAC) — put on a closely played basketball game that saw both teams literally battle for the basketball until the very end.
“This was a basketball game right here, and their kids, our kids … this was a great Highland County basketball game,” McClain head coach Joe B. Stewart said. “This is a nice time capsule here because the ‘want to’ on both ends of the floor was really strong. We were playing well coming into the third quarter, and their (Whiteoak’s) defense picked it up and gave us some problems.
“We turned the ball over too much in the fourth quarter, but in the meantime, our kids didn’t get down. We were down three, and some are looking to foul, but we felt like we wanted to shake turnovers and got the one we wanted. Obviously made a play, and Bryson Badgley, what can you say? You are down one and the game is in your hands … and he not only made them (free throws), but he dead-centered both of them. To everything there is a season, and this is our season to make big free throws and win a game that our kids really looked forward to.”
McClain went into the fourth frame ahead by 10 points at 34-24, but an 11-2 run from the start of the frame until the 3:53 mark of the fourth saw the Wildcats cut the MHS lead to one point for a 36-35 score.
Whiteoak’s Landon Barnett opened the fourth quarter with a jumper, and following a timeout less than a minute into the quarter, Brayden Yeager added two more points to the Whiteoak side of the scoreboard with points in the paint for a 34-28 score. Yeager led Whiteoak with 12 points, as he collected five two-point baskets and was 2-of-3 from the free-throw line.
Next came a 3-pointer from Bradley Ashbaugh, sinking the shot from the corner of the court, bringing WHS to within three points of the Tigers at the 6:10 mark. Ashbaugh and Barnett each finished with seven points apiece.
McClain answered when Lyle White scored two points with a layup, coming off a pass by Badgley, but the Wildcats countered, this time with two free throws from Yeager with 5:03 left in regulation.
The tension and excitement continued to jump in the packed gym for both sides, and following a timeout by McClain with 4:29 left in regulation, the Wildcats eventually made it a one-point differential with a basket by Barnett with 3:53 left on the clock for a 36-35 McClain lead.
Then the Wildcats took the lead for the first time since the third frame, with Carson Emery sinking a basket off a fast break layup and steal with 3:45 left on the clock for a 37-36 advantage for the home team.
The Tigers called a timeout a few moments later, regrouped and after trailing by three points following two free throws by Josh Hughes (who totaled six points for WHS), the Tigers regained the lead with 1:56 left in regulation following a basket by Badgley.
Whiteoak — who outscored the Tigers 17-8 in the fourth — didn’t back down as they regained the lead right back with two more free-throw conversions by Hughes with 1:32 left in the game for a 41-38 advantage for the home team.
Then things got even more fast-paced and exciting for all involved as the Tigers were called for an offensive foul with 1:24, and the Wildcats called a timeout at 1:19. Badgley stole the ball for the Tigers, but again, another offensive foul was called on McClain with 1:00 left on the clock.
The Wildcats missed two free-throw opportunities to add to their three-point lead, and McClain took advantage as Badgey made a jumper with 43 seconds left on the clock for a one-point deficit for the Tigers.
Next, Whiteoak was called for an offensive foul, then there was a turnover by the Tigers, only to see the Tigers force a turnover on defense, as there was a battle for the basketball on the floor where the Tigers gained possession and called a timeout with 5.6 on the clock.
Next came the aforementioned foul on Badgley that sent him to the free-throw line, where he sank both attempts to send McClain to the lead by a point. WHS had the ball with 0.04 remaining and got off a shot before the half-court line, but to no avail, with the Tigers winning the game as the final buzzer sounded.
The first frame was closely played with McClain having a 12-9 lead after eight minutes, but it was Whiteoak first to score in the game with a basket by Emery. McClain settled in with a 3-pointer by Badgley at the 6:21 mark of the quarter, which began a 10-0 run for the visitors.
Next in the 10-point run by McClain were put-back baskets by Braden Wright and Camden Closson. Those points were followed with a 3-pointer from Badgley for a 10-2 MHS lead with 4:25 still left in the first frame. Wright totaled nine points for the Tigers in their win.
Fans were waiting for Whiteoak to respond, and they did in a big way by scoring seven consecutive points with a free throw by Nick Bailey, points in the paint from Yeager, a basket by Bailey and two more points from Yeager for a 10-9 score that saw McClain lead by one point with 1:01 left in the first.
The Tigers ultimately led by three points at the end of the first following a jumper by Preston Saunders with 45 seconds left in the quarter for the 12-9 advantage.
Scoring was a little scarce in the second quarter with the Tigers outscoring the Wildcats, 8-7. McClain’s Dakota Pollock scored first in the second with a jumper, but Bailey answered for the Wildcats with two points, and teammate Barnett sank a trey from the corner with 5:34 left in the second to tie the score at 14-14.
McClain went back in front with a basket by Badgley, and then a layup from Wright put the Tigers in front by four points, only to see Whiteoak’s Yeager cut the lead in half with a bucket with 4:06 on the clock, as that was the final scoring in the quarter for WHS.
McClain ended the first-half (and second-quarter) scoring with a basket made by White, with the assist by Closson at the 1:47 mark of the quarter, for a halftime score of 20-16.
The game leaned in favor of McClain in the third as they won the quarter at 14-8, for a 34-24 lead after three frames. Whiteoak had four points from Ashbaugh and two points each by Hughes and Yeager in the third.
McClain’s third frame saw them lose the lead early in the quarter with baskets by Yeager and Hughes, tying the score at 20, and later points by Ashbaugh made the score 24-21 in favor of WHS with 3:46 left in the quarter.
The Tigers rallied back with points in the frame coming from Saunders with two, Wright having five points (3-of-3 from the free-throw line) and Badgley scoring seven points, including a 3-pointer with 1:17 left in the frame, pushing at the time McClain’s lead to 30-24. From there in the third, Badgley added four more points to push the Tigers’ lead to 10 points.
“(Whiteoak) battled back, and that is to their due, but I believe we turned the ball over 10 times in the fourth quarter, and that isn’t like us in man-to-man, but we did. That put us behind the eight-ball, and the nice thing is to have teachable moments after a win,” Stewart said. “These kids have worked 11 days in between games, and that is a long time with districts taking off with illness, so it has been difficult. Here we go with this being the first of seven games in 14 days, and we are off to a nice, energetic start.”
As a team, Whiteoak totaled 13 two-point field goals, two 3-pointers and finished 9-of-13 from the free-throw line (42 percent). The Tigers also made 13 two-point baskets, with three 3-pointers and they were 7-of-9 from the free-throw line (78 percent).
Next for the Tigers is an away game on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at Paint Valley in non-conference action.
The Wildcats also play again on Tuesday, Feb. 4 on the road against the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs.
Inside the packed Whiteoak High School Gym, Badgley went to the line, and the sophomore sank the first of two attempts, tying the score at 41. Badgley wasn’t finished, though, as the next free-throw attempt — with all eyes in the gym watching his every move — sank the second attempt as well, sending the visiting Tigers to a 42-41 non-conference win.
Badgley finished the game with 21 points to lead the Tigers, with four two-point baskets, three 3-pointers and he was a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
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The two Highland County counterparts — with McClain (5-11) representing the Frontier Athletic Conference (FAC) and Whiteoak (6-12) representing the Southern Hills Athletic Conference (SHAC) — put on a closely played basketball game that saw both teams literally battle for the basketball until the very end.
“This was a basketball game right here, and their kids, our kids … this was a great Highland County basketball game,” McClain head coach Joe B. Stewart said. “This is a nice time capsule here because the ‘want to’ on both ends of the floor was really strong. We were playing well coming into the third quarter, and their (Whiteoak’s) defense picked it up and gave us some problems.
“We turned the ball over too much in the fourth quarter, but in the meantime, our kids didn’t get down. We were down three, and some are looking to foul, but we felt like we wanted to shake turnovers and got the one we wanted. Obviously made a play, and Bryson Badgley, what can you say? You are down one and the game is in your hands … and he not only made them (free throws), but he dead-centered both of them. To everything there is a season, and this is our season to make big free throws and win a game that our kids really looked forward to.”
McClain went into the fourth frame ahead by 10 points at 34-24, but an 11-2 run from the start of the frame until the 3:53 mark of the fourth saw the Wildcats cut the MHS lead to one point for a 36-35 score.
Whiteoak’s Landon Barnett opened the fourth quarter with a jumper, and following a timeout less than a minute into the quarter, Brayden Yeager added two more points to the Whiteoak side of the scoreboard with points in the paint for a 34-28 score. Yeager led Whiteoak with 12 points, as he collected five two-point baskets and was 2-of-3 from the free-throw line.
Next came a 3-pointer from Bradley Ashbaugh, sinking the shot from the corner of the court, bringing WHS to within three points of the Tigers at the 6:10 mark. Ashbaugh and Barnett each finished with seven points apiece.
McClain answered when Lyle White scored two points with a layup, coming off a pass by Badgley, but the Wildcats countered, this time with two free throws from Yeager with 5:03 left in regulation.
The tension and excitement continued to jump in the packed gym for both sides, and following a timeout by McClain with 4:29 left in regulation, the Wildcats eventually made it a one-point differential with a basket by Barnett with 3:53 left on the clock for a 36-35 McClain lead.
Then the Wildcats took the lead for the first time since the third frame, with Carson Emery sinking a basket off a fast break layup and steal with 3:45 left on the clock for a 37-36 advantage for the home team.
The Tigers called a timeout a few moments later, regrouped and after trailing by three points following two free throws by Josh Hughes (who totaled six points for WHS), the Tigers regained the lead with 1:56 left in regulation following a basket by Badgley.
Whiteoak — who outscored the Tigers 17-8 in the fourth — didn’t back down as they regained the lead right back with two more free-throw conversions by Hughes with 1:32 left in the game for a 41-38 advantage for the home team.
Then things got even more fast-paced and exciting for all involved as the Tigers were called for an offensive foul with 1:24, and the Wildcats called a timeout at 1:19. Badgley stole the ball for the Tigers, but again, another offensive foul was called on McClain with 1:00 left on the clock.
The Wildcats missed two free-throw opportunities to add to their three-point lead, and McClain took advantage as Badgey made a jumper with 43 seconds left on the clock for a one-point deficit for the Tigers.
Next, Whiteoak was called for an offensive foul, then there was a turnover by the Tigers, only to see the Tigers force a turnover on defense, as there was a battle for the basketball on the floor where the Tigers gained possession and called a timeout with 5.6 on the clock.
Next came the aforementioned foul on Badgley that sent him to the free-throw line, where he sank both attempts to send McClain to the lead by a point. WHS had the ball with 0.04 remaining and got off a shot before the half-court line, but to no avail, with the Tigers winning the game as the final buzzer sounded.
The first frame was closely played with McClain having a 12-9 lead after eight minutes, but it was Whiteoak first to score in the game with a basket by Emery. McClain settled in with a 3-pointer by Badgley at the 6:21 mark of the quarter, which began a 10-0 run for the visitors.
Next in the 10-point run by McClain were put-back baskets by Braden Wright and Camden Closson. Those points were followed with a 3-pointer from Badgley for a 10-2 MHS lead with 4:25 still left in the first frame. Wright totaled nine points for the Tigers in their win.
Fans were waiting for Whiteoak to respond, and they did in a big way by scoring seven consecutive points with a free throw by Nick Bailey, points in the paint from Yeager, a basket by Bailey and two more points from Yeager for a 10-9 score that saw McClain lead by one point with 1:01 left in the first.
The Tigers ultimately led by three points at the end of the first following a jumper by Preston Saunders with 45 seconds left in the quarter for the 12-9 advantage.
Scoring was a little scarce in the second quarter with the Tigers outscoring the Wildcats, 8-7. McClain’s Dakota Pollock scored first in the second with a jumper, but Bailey answered for the Wildcats with two points, and teammate Barnett sank a trey from the corner with 5:34 left in the second to tie the score at 14-14.
McClain went back in front with a basket by Badgley, and then a layup from Wright put the Tigers in front by four points, only to see Whiteoak’s Yeager cut the lead in half with a bucket with 4:06 on the clock, as that was the final scoring in the quarter for WHS.
McClain ended the first-half (and second-quarter) scoring with a basket made by White, with the assist by Closson at the 1:47 mark of the quarter, for a halftime score of 20-16.
The game leaned in favor of McClain in the third as they won the quarter at 14-8, for a 34-24 lead after three frames. Whiteoak had four points from Ashbaugh and two points each by Hughes and Yeager in the third.
McClain’s third frame saw them lose the lead early in the quarter with baskets by Yeager and Hughes, tying the score at 20, and later points by Ashbaugh made the score 24-21 in favor of WHS with 3:46 left in the quarter.
The Tigers rallied back with points in the frame coming from Saunders with two, Wright having five points (3-of-3 from the free-throw line) and Badgley scoring seven points, including a 3-pointer with 1:17 left in the frame, pushing at the time McClain’s lead to 30-24. From there in the third, Badgley added four more points to push the Tigers’ lead to 10 points.
“(Whiteoak) battled back, and that is to their due, but I believe we turned the ball over 10 times in the fourth quarter, and that isn’t like us in man-to-man, but we did. That put us behind the eight-ball, and the nice thing is to have teachable moments after a win,” Stewart said. “These kids have worked 11 days in between games, and that is a long time with districts taking off with illness, so it has been difficult. Here we go with this being the first of seven games in 14 days, and we are off to a nice, energetic start.”
As a team, Whiteoak totaled 13 two-point field goals, two 3-pointers and finished 9-of-13 from the free-throw line (42 percent). The Tigers also made 13 two-point baskets, with three 3-pointers and they were 7-of-9 from the free-throw line (78 percent).
Next for the Tigers is an away game on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at Paint Valley in non-conference action.
The Wildcats also play again on Tuesday, Feb. 4 on the road against the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs.