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By: Chris Evans
Posted Feb 13, 2009
Would you have expected anything different? With one of the best rivalries in the state, Guthrie High School gymnasium was packed for an overtime thriller with the third ranked Carl Albert Titans coming away with a 55-53 win over top ranked Guthrie. This game would feature 17 lead changes.
In the overtime period, both teams stalled by taking time off the clock, but the Jays scored first on two free throws by senior Donte Foster to give the Jays a 52-50 lead with :48 left.
The Titans would then melt 24 seconds off the clock before calling a time-out with 24.7 seconds. Out of the time-out, junior J.T. Realmuto converted a lay-up and drew a foul and finished the play by making the free throw to give the Titans lead back, 53-52.
The Jays, on the next possession, turned over the basketball and Tyler Schuman dribbled in for the uncontested lay-up to push the Titan lead up three (55-52). However, Schuman left time on the clock (4.5) for the Jays to either tie, or win the game.
Guthrie would have mutiple chances including a half court shot by Foster as time ran out, but the ball slammed hard off the glass.
Foster, who had a game high 21 points, gave the Jays a 50-49 lead with :20 left in regulation by connecting on two huge free throws, but Tre Porter connected on one of two free throws, on the other end, to tie the game with :09.
Foster's would be game winning shot, in regulation, over two Titans from 17 feet was no good to send the game into overtime. Guthrie had eliminated a 7-point deficit in the middle of the fourth period.
Carl Albert, who started the game on a 6-0 run, have now won seven games in a row and improves to 17-3. Meanwhile, the Jays drop their second game this season (both in overtimes) and fall to 17-2. Both teams will meet again Saturday evening for the conference championship, in El Reno.
The first quarter ended at 18-all thanks to Foster's 3-point shot as time expired, but Titan Harrison Dupont had a buzzer beater at the end of the second quarter to give the Titans a 26-24 halftime advantage.
Guthrie built their biggest lead of the night (36-31) in the third period with all five points coming from senior guard Keaton Callins, who finished with 17 points. Carl Albert, however, would respond by scoring the next six points to regain the lead, 37-36, and would get yet another buzzer beater by Dupont to end the third period up 41-37.
With the game tied at 41-all in the fourth quarter and 6:43 to play, Carl Albert scored the next 7-points to go up 48-41. Callins would then hit a free throw a field goal along with a Clayton Smith's lay-up, and the Jays were back within one, 49-48.
With the Titans attempting to milk the clock away, in regulation, had a passed intercepted by Smith to set-up the free throws by Foster.
Guthrie shot 42% from the field while the Titans shot 43%. Guthrie had 11 turnovers, Carl Albert had 10.
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