NMCC outlasts Charleston 105-92 in 2 OT's in Class 3 boys sectional

DEXTER, Mo. - The New Madrid County Central Eagles varsity boys basketball program moved one step closer to its first final four appearance since 2002 Friday afternoon as it secured a 105-92 double overtime victory against the Charleston Bluejays in a Class 3 sectional at the Bearcat Event Center.

"For the fans it was a heck of a game to watch," NMCC coach Travis Day said. "For the coaches, it was a nailbiter. I'm pleased with the guys that never quit playing. When things weren't going our way we kept battling. When you are going against Charleston you've got to give it everything you've got to pull out a victory."

Both teams had their chances to prevail as the clock approached zero in the fourth quarter of the playoff classic.

NMCC led 66-60 with 1:57 left in the fourth period. A pair of made free throws by standout senior guard Delfincko Bogan capped a 7-0 Charleston rally and put the Bluejays back on top 67-66 with 34 seconds left in regulation. NMCC standout senior guard Willie Jimerson followed with a pair of free throws with 23 seconds left and two more free throws with 18 seconds left to give NMCC a 70-67 advantage. Charleston junior Tenerrious Ewing extended the game when he hit a 3-pointer near the baseline with a second or two left to tie things up at 70-70.

Ewing remained hot in the first overtime as he tallied five of his team's first seven points to help Charleston build a 77-72 lead with 2:51 left. Charleston maintained an 83-81 lead after DeMarcus Sharp hit one of two free throws with 17 seconds.

After Sharp's free throws, NMCC missed a 3-pointer and a 2-pointer in the final 10 seconds, but Jimerson provided the Eagles' an opportunity for third-chance points when he secured a rebound in the paint and was fouled in the act of shooting with no time remaining.

Jimerson hit a pair of clutch free throws with no time on the clock to tie things up at 83-83 and force a second overtime.

"We had our chances to win it," Charleston coach Danny Farmer said. "We were one rebound from winning it when we fouled Willie. If we would have got that rebound it would have been over, or if he would have missed a free throw the game would have been over. We had our chances and don't have anything to be ashamed of. They won it in the end. I think they were a little tougher team today, and the tougher team came out on top."

The Eagles never trailed in the second overtime. Newsom recorded six of the Eagles' first eight points in the paint in the second overtime to put NMCC on top 89-85 with 2:26 left.

"We started attacking the paint more with the pass," Day said of the second overtime. "We got it to our big guys and let them finish inside."

NMCC maintained a 94-90 lead with 1:18 left in the second overtime and tallied the next 11 points to take its largest lead of the game at 105-90 in the closing seconds.

Both teams led by as much as seven in a see-saw first half.

Charleston recorded the first 11 points to build an 11-0 lead with 3:45 left in the first quarter. NMCC outscored Charleston 6-0 in the final 90 seconds of the first period to cut the deficit to 16-13 by the start of the second period.

A pair of free throws by Javarcus Word gave NMCC its first lead at 22-21 with 4:23 left in the second quarter. The Eagles increased its lead to as large as 29-22 with about two minutes left in the first half before Charleston trimmed its deficit to 37-33 by halftime.

"Charleston is a good team," Day said. "We knew they would come out hard on us and our guys were kind of nervous. Once we got out of that we were all right and were able to do what we had to do."

Jimerson finished with a game-high 53 points. He had 15 2-point field goals, a 3-pointer and went 20 of 21 from the charity stripe.

"That's big," Day said of Jimerson. "That's what you ask of a senior. You ask a senior to be a leader and give you opportunities to succeed."

Newsom tallied 17 of his 19 points after halftime. Word calculated 14 of his 16 points in the second half.

Bogan and Sharp both hit four of Charleston's 10 treys. Bogan recorded 23 of his 28 points after halftime. Sharp scored 11 of his 20 points in the first half.

Ewing added half of his 18 points in the overtime sessions.

"He really stepped it up," Farmer said of Ewing. "I knew what he could do. I knew I could go to him and he would play when we needed him to play. He kept us in it. We played a whole overtime without Delfinkco Bogan so we are proud and have our heads up."

Four players fouled out for Charleston. Bogan picked up his fifth foul with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jaqueles Biles fouled out at the end of the first overtime, Marquavion McCauley fouled out with 47 seconds left in the second overtime and Sharp fouled out with 31 seconds left in the second overtime.

NMCC's Mikeal Walker fouled out with 34 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Charleston finishes its season with a record of 17-10.

"I'm proud of my kids," Farmer said. "I played three freshmen the whole year. We won a district championship and almost won a sectional. I'm just really proud of them."

NMCC takes on Park Hills Central (23-5) for the right to go to the final four Saturday at 1 p.m. at Jefferson College in Hillsboro. Park Hills Central beat Maplewood-Richmonds Heights 45-40 in its sectional Thursday night.

"'As far as I know they are a big team," Day said of Parks Hills. "They like to play slow and get it to their big guys inside. We need to get it up-tempo and see what we can do at that pace."

NMCC 105, Charleston 92 (Double Overtime)

NMC 13 24 15 18 13 22 - 105

CHS 16 17 12 25 13 9 - 92

NMCC (105) - Willie Jimerson 53, Mikeal Walker 2, Shunta Clark 2, Javarcus Word 16, Christopher Farr 5, Drew Palmer 5, Astem Newsom-Gill 19, Vontre Jones 3. FG 36, FT 29/42, F 27. (3-pointers: Jimerson 1, Word 1, Farr 1, Palmer 1. Fouled out: Walker)

CHARLESTON (92) - Jaqueles Biles 2, Dontarius Sharp 20, Delfincko Bogan 28, DeMarcus Sharp 14, Mardareyon Clark 2, Jeremy Tucker 8, Tenerrious Ewing 18. FG 28, FT 26/37, F 33. (3-pointers: Sharp 4, Bogan 4, Ewing 2. Fouled out: Biles, Bogan, Sharp, Marquavion McCauley)