GARNETT — Humboldt High’s boys were right where they needed to be Tuesday, on the cusp of a second thrilling win over Anderson County in four days.
Alas, the fates intervened in the form of a Brayden Wheat 3-point attempt.
With only 3 seconds left, Wheat banked in the 3-pointer tying the game at 49-49 to force overtime.
“And we kind of got out of our rhythm in the overtime,” Humboldt coach David Taylor said.
Wheat rose to the occasion again in overtime, hitting a critical 3-pointer with 40 seconds left on the clock.
The basket turned a one-point lead by the Anderson County Bulldogs to a 55-51 advantage.
Humboldt ran out of time trying to respond, falling 57-53.
Even so, Humboldt is still an enviable 11-2 on the season.
“WE DID EVERYTHING we could to be in a position to win,” Taylor said. “It just didn’t work out the way we wanted it to.”
That said, games like Tuesday — the latest in a string of down-to-the-wire battles for Humboldt — are precisely what will benefit the Cubs as the conference season hits high gear.
“We need more games like that where we have to battle for four quarters,” Taylor said. “If you’re not out of your comfort zone, you’re not gonna get better. We can learn things about what we need to do better.
“I feel bad for the boys,” he continued. “They played hard and did a decent job against a good team.”
The start was a little rough as Humboldt struggled to get shots to fall against the towering Anderson County front line.
THE BULLDOGS LED 14-5 early in the second quarter before Humboldt ended the half with a 15-8 run to close to within 22-20 at the break.
The second half was a back and forth affair with neither team able to seize control.
Humboldt led 44-42 with about 2 minutes remaining when Colden Cook stretched Humboldt’s lead to four. Avery Works scored with 45 seconds left to make it 48-44.
