CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — Carl Junction spent nearly the entire game fighting back from an early deficit before tying the contest late and going on to win 73-68 in double overtime against Seneca on Tuesday.
The Indians (2-3) used a strong spurt at the end of the first quarter to gain the momentum before pushing the lead to double digits early in the second period. The Bulldogs (4-2) made several runs at the lead before finally clawing back to tie the game late in regulation to force overtime. While one extra period wasn’t enough to decide the game, Carl Junction took the momentum in the second overtime period and never gave it up en route to the win.
“I thought our kids fought really hard,” Carl Junction coach Justin Pock said. “There were times where I didn’t think we were as crisp as we needed to be, especially early on. It took us a while to get out of the gates. They kept chipping away and kept fighting, and we’ve seen over the last two ball games that our team will fight no matter what the score is. … When it came together, it was all about heart and hustle.”
A SECOND HELPING OF OVERTIME
After both teams combined for two free throws and two scores from the floor in the first OT, Carl Junction’s Cooper Vediz and Seneca’s Morgan Vaughn traded makes out of the break before Wyatt McAfee drove baseline for a score and a 66-64 advantage in favor of the Bulldogs with 2:45 left.
After a pair of misses at the stripe for Seneca, Carl Junction pushed the lead to 67-64 with 1:44 on the clock after a 1-for-2 showing at the foul line from Quin Kennedy.
Seneca got a corner 3-ball with 50 seconds left from Zane Grotjohn to tie the game at 67-all before Vediz pushed CJ back in front 69-67 with a bucket.
Seneca trimmed the deficit to 69-68 after making one of two free throws with 27 seconds left before CJ extended the lead back to three, 71-68, on two charities by Jett Hocut.
The Bulldogs iced the game after an empty possession by the Indians in the waning seconds, which led to a rebound from Aidan Beachner, an outlet pass to Vediz, and a fast-break score in the closing seconds to clinch the win.
“I thought we had some good rebounds,” Pock said when asked what stood out in that second overtime. “Quin (Kennedy) had a really good rebound and I thought (Aidan) Beachner did a great job with that last rebound to seal it. We had some guys attack, and then Cooper (Vediz) and Jett (Hocut) hit some big free throws for us.”
HOW THEY GOT THERE
Seneca used the first surge of the game to take the momentum, closing the first quarter on a 9-2 run.
With Seneca leading 10-8 near the four-minute mark, a bucket inside from Morgan Vaughn off the assist from Jace Schulte started the run before Gavyn Hoover added a bucket on the drive. Vediz pulled up from midrange for a jumper before Schulte knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key and Gabe Sikes added a transition basket in press break with 15 seconds left to send Seneca into the second period holding a 19-10 advantage.
Sikes added another bucket inside at the start of the second period to push the Indians’ advantage to double digits for the first time.
Carl Junction fought back to cut the deficit to one thanks to a 10-0 run near the midway point, with Brody Pant earning a steal and score on the break to kick things off before adding a three-point play after drawing a foul and converting the ensuing and-1 free throw. Jett Mills followed with a second-chance score inside and a 3-pointer from the top of the key to cut the score to 23-22 with 3:16 left to play in the first half.
“Seneca is a good team, but we just had to get some things going,” Pock said of his team’s first surge to climb back into the game. “We just needed to see some shots fall and pick up our defense a little bit.”
Seneca had an answer to close the first half, scoring 11 of the next 13 points thanks to eight points from Grotjohn—which included a pair of NBA-range 3-pointers from the top of the key and the wing—to push the lead back up to 34-24 with less than 40 seconds to play in the second period.
Carl Junction used a score on a baseline drive from Deacon Endicott and a buzzer-beating 3-ball from Vediz at the volleyball line to end the first half trailing 34-29.
Carl Junction spent the second half trying to regain the lead, meandering around a two-possession deficit until McAfee scored on a drive with 1:20 left in regulation and Pant added two free throws with 40 seconds left to tie the game at 59-59, ultimately sending it to the first overtime.
“I think when we step on the floor, we always have a belief we are going to win,” Pock said of his team’s resiliency in the second half. “They don’t always know how it’s going to happen, but the guys continue to do what they need to do. They fought hard every possession until we made some shots and got some good things going.”
SCORING LEADERS
Vediz scored 22 to lead Carl Junction in scoring. Endicott and Pant had 13 each, while Kennedy closed with 11. McAfee finished with eight.
Vaughn finished with 17 points to lead Seneca in scoring, while Grotjohn had 15, including three 3-pointers. Hoover had 12—10 in the second half.
UP NEXT
Carl Junction takes part in the Mustang Classic on Thursday, hosted by McDonald County.
Seneca hosts Neosho on Friday.
