By Joe Williams, for the Williamson Herald
news@williamsonherald.com

Centennial and Independence played a game and a half Friday night.

Literally.

Brendan Mitchell drained a three-pointer with 2:48 left in the fourth and final overtime to give Indy a 73-70 lead en route to a 76-71 win on the Cougars’ home floor.

The final score was almost anti-climactic after a contest that went 16 minutes beyond the 32-minute regulation, featuring 15 ties and 20 lead changes in the 48 minutes of play.

“I’m not sure it was as much a well-played game as it was a hard fought one,” said Indy head coach Jeremy Moore when it was finally over. “You know Centennial is a good basketball team, they play hard, and they’re well coached. I told the staff coming over tonight that they (Centennial) are going to get right. I just hope it’s not tonight.

“This is probably one of the top two games I’ve ever been involved in as an assistant or a head coach.”

A packed gym heightened the excitement of the rivalry early, and the Cougars seemed to feed off the energy, stretching a one-point half-time lead to as much as six with about five minutes left to play.

Indy used a balanced offensive attack, with four different players scoring in the final five minutes and when Drew Kelley dropped in a follow-up with 10.6 seconds remaining, the Cougars were behind for the first time in the game, 44-42.

In a foreshadowing of the next 16 minutes, senior Ryan Bristol nailed a deuce with 0.6 seconds remaining, tying the contest and forcing the first overtime.

Independence roared out in the first extra period, behind Tyler King’s three free throws, only to see Centennial hold them scoreless over the last half of the first overtime. Chad Farbman’s follow-up with 51-seconds remaining sent the game to a second extra period, tied at 51.

Bristol scored six of his game-high 22 points in the second overtime, including a game-tying basket with 38-seconds to play. A sticky defense kept both teams on the ropes and forced a third overtime period, tied at 61.

Centennial had a chance to put the Eagles away in the third overtime, but after hitting nearly 60 percent from the charity stripe in regulation found the touch deserting, scoring only 3-of-9 from the stripe. The misses kept Independence in the game and Tré Durham’s calm two-pointer as the buzzer sounded tied the game again at 68 and forced a fourth overtime period.

Both sides swapped baskets before Mitchell’s heroics. Durham protected the lead, hitting three-of-four charity throws in the last 21-seconds to seal the win and a spot near the top of District 11-AAA.

“We just didn’t execute at the end,” said Centennial’s Darren Henrie.

“It was just an unbelievable game. I’ve never been involved in a four overtime game. That takes heart, it takes energy, it takes passion and you saw that from both sides tonight.

“I’m just proud of my guys for the way they fought, fought back, and then fought again. Both teams had chances to win multiple times and, unfortunately, we didn’t execute at the end and they won the game.”

Independence got 19 points from Bryan Miller, who Moore called, “…the glue,” of the team. Mitchell ended with 16, Durham 13, and Tyler King had 12. For Centennial, Bristol’s 22 led all scorers and Latarius Johnson chipped in 17.

Posted on: 1/28/2010