A free throw by Jake Spychalski with 4.5 seconds left got the Grove Ridgerunners a much needed 49-48 win Friday night over the McDonald County Mustangs in their final home game of the season.
It was almost another bad case of déjà vu for the Ridgerunners (6-13) who nearly lost another fourth quarter lead, a persistent problem all season, especially during their recent six-game losing streak.
Spychalski, who finished with 17 points, scored on back-to-back possessions to open the fourth quarter, giving the Ridgerunners a 43-33 lead with seven minutes left.
But McDonald’s Jake Wood hit consecutive threes then added a fast break layup to cut the lead to two in less than two minutes.
Wood would get another layup off a steal to give the Mustangs their first lead of the night at 46-45 with 2:40 left. A pair of free throws by Daton Aubrey made it a three-point lead before Ty Phillips buried one from beyond the arc to tie the game at 48 with 1:45 left.
After a missed three-point attempt by Drew Harmon with 1:30 to play, Grove held onto the ball for over a minute before taking a timeout with 15.6 seconds to play. Grove head coach Zach Trimble then called on Spychalski one more time.
“We just called an [isolation],” Trimble said. “We tried to get Jake a touch with about seven or eight seconds, and either get fouled or get inside and get a layup.”
Spychalski made the first of two, and the Mustangs' desperation three missed wildly at the buzzer.
Appropriately on Senior Night, the Ridgerunners’ four senior starters combined for all but two of Grove’s points. Spencer Londagin knocked down five threes and finished with 17 points, while Ty Phillips hit another three from beyond the arc to add 9 points. Point guard Trent Lyle finished with 4 points and 5 assists.
“I’m incredibly proud of all four of them,” Trimble said. “They’re a special group of kids and it’s been a pleasure to coach them. I’m just glad they came out on top in their final home game. “
Phillips and Londagin hit four three-pointers in the opening quarter as Grove took a 20-14 lead and held it through a low-scoring second quarter, taking a 28-22 lead into halftime.
After the Mustangs cut the lead to one with 4:47 left in the third, Londagin responded with a pair of threes, and Grove went on a 12-3 run to take their largest lead of the night before Wood led the Mustangs right back.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Trimble said. “It never is. I had a gut feeling that they were going to cut [the lead] and if they did we were going to respond, just because of the moment and it being Senior Night. We’ve been in that position seven or eight times this year and we haven’t come out on top. We learned from it and got better from it and tonight it paid off.”
Aubrey led the Mustangs with 13 points, with Wood finishing with 12. Harmon finished with 11 points after scoring 9 in the first half.
The Ridgerunners will wrap up the regular season on Monday at Pryor
