SALEM CLASS 1A SUPER-SECTIONAL
Sesser-Valier outlasts Woodlawn in overtime
Red Devils win rubber game with Cards; punch ticket to Peoria; Hammond nets 25 in Woodlawn loss
03-09-10
BY PHIL KNAPPER - BENTON EVENING NEWS
FOR ABASELINEVIEW.COM
SALEM — The Sesser-Valier Red Devils weren't phased when Woodlawn took its first lead of the game with 5:20 remaining in the Salem Class 1A Super-Sectional Tuesday night.

They weren't even phased when they fell behind by a bucket with just over a minute left and the Cardinals at the line. And they weren't phased when they didn't get a shot off at the end of regulation, settling for overtime.

Instead, they regrouped and took control of their own destiny, dominating the extra period and punching their ticket to the Class 1A state tournament in Peoria with a 53-44 win.

Maybe winning games like this is just a phase they're going through.

"This is unbelieveable," Sesser coach Chip Basso said. "I couldn't be happier for the community and the kids. They've waited a long time for this."

But the fans did have to wait about three minutes longer than expected to see what was going to play out in the game.

Dane Eubanks put on a nice fake and drove down the left side of the lane to put Sesser ahead 44-42 with 90 seconds gone in OT.

Woodlawn's Dawson Verhines and Sesser's Myles Tinsley then traded misses and the Cardinals had a chance to tie with 1:30 left.

But Casey Hammond's jumper rolled off the rim and Tinsley hit Gibson with a good pass in the paint and Gibson was fouled with 1:14 left.

The senior hit both tosses for a 46-42 lead.

Those two free throws started a 9 for 10 effort from the stripe in the overtime for the Red Devils.

"I was confident and calm and they went in for me," said Gibson, who was 4 of 4 from the line in overtime.

D. Eubanks, who was 3 for 4 in the extra session was pleased with the way his team closed out the game.

"We all made free throws tonight," he said. "I was thinking I've got to be the man right here and, fortunately, I did it."

The Cards could manage just two Hammond free throws with 30 seconds left and were outscored 11-2 in overtime.

But the overtime period was a far cry from the first four quarters of basketball.

The Devils started out hot, hitting 7 of their first 11 shots to grab a 17-9 lead after one period.

A Gibson hoop and a stop-and-pop jumper from Tinsley gave SV a quick 4-0 lead.

A 6-0 run later in the quarter, put the Devils up 10-4. Justin Matyi, who was double-teamed all night long, hit a long baseline jumper, Tinsley made a terrific spin-move and hoop and Gibson hit a free-throw line jumper to give Sesser the 10-4 lead with 3:00 left in the period.

Hammond followed with a 3-pointer, but Gibson hit two free throws and T.J. Eubanks swished a long 3-pointer himself for a 15-7 lead. Matyi's buzzer-beater gave SV its 17-9 lead.

Gibson, known more for his defensive efforts, had six points in the opening period.

"When they double-team Matyi, someone has to step up," he said. "Tonight, me and Myles did our part. It was a good team effort."

Even with the improved offense, Gibson made sure he wasn't without his defensive-stopper mentality, too.

He stuck on Verhines like glue, allowing the high-scoring junior to net just four points in the first half — none in the first period.

"He's a smart player and a great player, but I just tried to beat hom to the spot and use my length as an advantage," Gibson said.

Basso was proud of the defensive effort from Gibson.

"Kendall did a great job on (Verhines) tonight and he got some scoring that we needed," he said. "He really stepped up and delivered tonight."

The Cardinals got back in the game on 5 of 10 shooting from the floor in the second period.

Hammond scored two buckets over the first two minutes of the quarter to pull Woodlawn within 17-13.

A Gibson spin move made the score 19-13, but Hammond scored again on a drive for a 19-15 score.

Both offenses bogged down at that point, until a fortunate bounce pulled Woodlawn with a bucket.

Gibson had a clean block on a Verhines shot, Hammond rebounding. Hammond missed as well, but the ball was tipped right back to Verhines who scored for a 19-17 game.

Matyi shook loose for two buckets and a 23-17 lead with 1:31 left in the half.
Sesser led 23-19 at intermission.

The Devils kept the lead through three quarters — barely.

D. Eubanks opened the second half with a 3-pointer, but a Verhines three-point play — after a nice wraparound pass from Hammond — made the score 26-22 Devils.

Hammond would later hit a 3-pointer for a 28-25 Sesser lead and hit two freebies with 4:27 left for a 30-27 score.

John Cavender had a chance to tie the game with exactly one minute left in the period when he drove to the hoop, scored and was fouled. He missed the free throw and Sesser led 30-29 as the fourth quarter started.

The fourth period was an emotional yo-yo for the teams and the packed house watching.

Matyi started the scoring by shooting right through Josh Wiggs for a 32-29 lead, but Hammond came right back with a 3-pointer to tie the game with 6:57 left.

D. Eubanks found himself wide open underneath on Sesser's next trip for a 34-32 lead, but a Hammond free throw and a Verhines hoop gave Woodlawn its first lead of the game, 35-34 with 6:18 left.

Matyi tied the game when he hit 1 of 2 free throws with 6:04 left, but Wiggs scored on a drop-step move, then hit a short shot in the paint for a 39-35 lead with 5:20 left in regulation.

The teams traded turnovers and Kirk Dunbar was fouled with with 3:30 left to play.

He missed the free throw and Matyi got a rare catch in the lane. He turned the opportunity into a three-point play, pulling Sesser within 39-38.

After running some clock, Verhines misfired on a 3-pointer, Tinsley rebounding.

Then, on Sesser's next trip, Tinsley stroked an 18-footer for a 40-39 Sesser lead with 2:26 left.

Hammond, as he did all game, answered, hitting a 3-pointer for a 42-40 Cards lead at the 2:18 mark.

Tinsley tried to answer, but his 3-pointer was off the mark. Wiggs rebounded, but D. Eubanks picked his pocket and stuck the ball in the basket to tie the game 42-42 with 1:55 left.

Then, with Woodlawn looking to run some clock, Tinsley and D. Eubanks came up with a huge defensive play.

As Hammond crossed midcourt, Tinsley tipped the ball away and streaked to the Sesser basket. He missed the shot, but D. Eubanks was there for the board and was fouled.

"They walked right into that steal," D. Eubanks said. "I was meant to help off on Dunbar and he fortunately went over to Casey and there was the opportunity and I took it."

"Casey Hammond is a phenomenal player — I figured out why they call him the Microwave tonight," said Tinsley. "But he was coming down and taking a couple of dribbles and shooting tonight. We only had a few moments left and I saw that ball come out. It was my time to shine I guess."

D. Eubanks missed the free throw and Gibson was called for a foul on the rebound. It didn't hurt the Devils because Christian McNeil missed his free throw as well.

Sesser then held for the final shot, but couldn't get a good look at the basket and the game went into overtime.

The Devils then took control of the game and pulled away.

"Credit to Woodlawn, they are an awfully good team," D. Eubanks said. "But it was in the back of our heads that this was our game. In overtime you've got to make plays and that's what we did."

Matyi had 18, Gibson 14 and D. Eubanks 12 to lead Sesser's offense.

"It is satisfying to know that we can do it when we have to chip in like we did tonight," said Tinsley. "After a couple of minutes, though, I thought 'my team doesn't need me to shoot, they need me to reverse the ball and set screens' and that's what I did."

Gibson said the balanced attack should serve notice to the other teams in Peoria.

"It shows that we are a team," he said. "There are a lot of nights when Matyi can go out and score 42 points, that is great and he is a great player. But it takes a lot of teammates to get the job done. This will let everyone else know that we are not a one-trick pony."

Basso knew his team was in a war tonight.

"We talked at halftime that we are going to have to step up and make plays," he said. "They would make a run and we would make a run. It was a heavyweight toe-to-toe slugfest.

"But we made it through the rough times and we made our free throws when we had to," he added. "That overtime gets a lot hairier if we don't convert from the line."
Hammond led all scorers with 25 points for Woodlawn.

Sesser advances to the Class 1A state basketball tournament in Peoria, where it will play Madison at 2 p.m. on Friday. Madison beat Lewistown 48-45 to win the Jacksonville Super.

1
2
3
4
OT
F
Sesser Valier
17
06
07
12
11
53
Muprhysboro
09
10
10
13
02
44

Sesser-Valier (53) – D. Eubanks 3 1 3-5 12, Hicks 0 0 0-0 0, Tinsley 3 0 0-0 6, DelBene 0 0 0-0 0, Pitchford 0 0 0-0 0, Gibson 4 0 6-6 14, Donovan 0 0 0-0 0, T.J. Eubanks 0 1 0-0 3, Matyi 7 0 4-6 18, Edwards 0 0 0-0 0.
2FG-17, 3FG-2, FT-13-17, PF-12.
Woodlawn (44) – Cavender 1 0 0-1 2, Dunbar 0 0 0-1 0, Verhines 4 0 1-3 9, McNeil 0 0 0-1 0, Hammond 4 4 5-6 25, Johnson 0 0 0-0 0, Wiggs 4 - 0-0 8.
2FG-13, 3FG-4, FT-6-12, PF-18.
Fouled Out – Dunbar - Woodlawn.
Technical Fouls – None.