Advance boys lose big lead to Chaffee, but not game

ADVANCE, Mo. -- The third installment of the Chaffee and Advance boys basketball teams was even better than the first two.

There's not many games that can claim a wild 23-point second-half comeback, two lead changes in the final minute, two stellar performances from each teams top player, and finally -- a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Whew.

Advance built a 23-point lead before trailing in the final minute only to seize control at the free-throw line and claim a 76-72 victory over Chaffee.

The Red Devils (9-4) got the best of the Hornets (8-5) the first two times around.

Chaffee junior Peyton Montgomery, left, Advance senior Lane Below and Chaffee cheerleaders and fans watch as Montgomery’s 3-pointer goes in giving the Red Devils a one-point lead with less than a minute left in the game Tuesday in Advance, Mo. Advance won 76-72. (Adam Vogler)

This time it was all Hornets in the first half before a wild finish.

Chaffee was down six points with 1 minute, 32 seconds left before finishing its comeback.

Charlie Montgomery hit a deuce to cut it to 71-67; Layton Tenkhoff followed an Advance turnover with two made frees to make it a two point game; and Peyton Montgomery buried a 3-pointer from the right corner after a Red Devil steal to stake Chaffee to its first lead at 72-71 with 41 seconds left.

"I guess we just tried to hold it too much," Advance coach Bubba Wheatley said. "They didn't look to attack more, had turnovers, and didn't shoot well. When you start trying to hold the ball too much and start trying not to look scared, that's what happens. Your shots are not there and turnovers happen. But I'll give [Chaffee] credit, they picked up their defense and they played well. They got rough and tough and hit the boards well."

Advance went to its go-to-guy in the final seconds, senior Lane Below.

Below took the ball after Peyton Montgomery's 3-pointer and drove to the basket, drawing a foul and sinking both shots from the charity stripe to put Advance back on top.

"They got it in Lane's hands and I was going to let him do it, and he did," Wheatley said. "He took it to the hole and got fouled. That was a big win for us."

Chaffee still had chances.

Peyton Montgomery got the same 3-point look he had on the previous possession, but this time he came up short and Below went back to the line for two shots at the other end.

"I felt like I didn't play real good and everyone was playing real passive in the second half," Below said. "I was just trying to take it to the rack because, if anything, I can make some free throws, surely."

Below missed the first before draining the second, putting Advance up 74-72 with 11 seconds remaining and giving Chaffee a final chance.

Peyton Montgomery dribbled down and rolled off a screen at the top of the key, but Advance sent an extra man to double team and Montgomery found Storm Estes in the left corner for an open 3-pointer that went just long.

Below capped the game off with two free-throws with 1.1 seconds remaining to seal the win.

"The fourth quarter we wanted possession by possession and keep getting into it," Chaffee coach Josh Govreau said. "We had our chance to win it. [We] took the lead and we drew up there at the end what we wanted with Peyton -- if they helped off that screen he was going to kick it to Storm for the 3. I would take him shooting that shot any day -- he just missed it."

It was a wild final minute to cap an incredible rally by the Red Devils.

Chaffee was down 52-29 a minute into the third quarter before finally starting to play.

The Red Devils used a 17-0 run to make it a 52-46 game.

Peyton Montgomery was key in the rally, scoring six of his game-high 28 points during the run.

"You have to give Chaffee credit," Wheatley said. "I told our boys they weren't going to quit. They were going to come back and make a run, so be ready for it."

Advance responded to the run and managed a 59-49 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

"I told them at halftime we can tuck our tails and go home and get our butts kicked," Govreau said, "or we can come out ... and third quarter our goal was to get it to 10 points, and we did that."

The first half was as lopsided as it could get.

Advance came out with high intensity and its full-court zone press wreaked havoc on the Red Devils.

The Hornets went up a quick 8-1 in the opening two minutes.

"I think our press came out with intensity, got turnovers, and we attacked and we were taking the ball to the hole more," Wheatley said.

Advance continued its defensive intensity and built a 23-15 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Advance pushed its lead to 46-27 in the second quarter.

"Just disappointed in our effort," Govreau said. "That's something in our last two games. We haven't come out with the intensity we're capable of playing with. It seems like at halftime I'm giving them the same speech every time to get them motivated. We knew coming into Advance it was going to be tough to play here. The crowd was going to be loud and they were going to be fired up, and we didn't match their intensity and it showed. They kicked our butt in the first half."

The two rivals could meet a fourth time in the Class 2 District 3 tournament.

Chaffee 15 12 22 23 -- 72

Advance 23 23 13 17 -- 76

CHAFFEE (72) -- Layton Tenkhoff 9, Peyton Montgomery 28, Storm Estes 6, Jimmy Golden 5, Charlie Montgomery 15, Trevor Morehead 9. FG 18, FT 9-14, F 19. (3-pointers: P. Montgomery 6, Estes 2, Golden 1. Fouled out: Tenkhoff)

ADVANCE (76) -- Austin Miller 11, Garrett Walker 3, Lane Below 23, Eli Seger 6, Alex Morse 6, Dalton Wilson 16, Ben Trout 4, Dawson Mayo 7. FG 21, FT 19-24, F 14. (3-pointers: Miller 1, Walker 1, Below 1, Morse 2. Fouled out: none)