Bernie Invitational Tournament: Royals, Camels battle to double overtime

BERNIE — Fresh off the Thanksgiving break and straight to the hardwood.

Many teams got their first taste of the 2023–24 basketball season as the Bernie Mules hosted their basketball invitational on Monday.

The tournament included many teams throughout the southeast, such as Puxico, Bloomfield, Neelyville, Campbell, Twin Rivers High School and many more.

The Twin Rivers Royals and Campbell High School matched up for the second game of the evening and required an extra two quarters to crown a winner.

While the Royals looked to grab their first win of the season, Campbell was prepared to add their second straight win.

Though the game stayed neck-to-neck throughout the game, some hot shooting from guard Carter Williams would secure a 78-72 victory over Campbell.

Williams was silent from behind the arch to start the game by only connecting with two made baskets, but he later caught fire in double overtime when it mattered the most.

“It feels good to grab this first win,” Williams said. “The team really came together in the second half, and it’s a great way to start the season. I give all the credit to my teammates for giving me open looks.

“We’re a family out there, and I believe this win will get us rolling in the right direction. We’re going to do whatever it takes to get a win. Our goal is to make a strong win in this tournament and have fun.”

Williams connected with five three-pointers to finish with 15 points.

Twin Rivers and Campbell battled down to the last second, but it came down to execution at the rim. During double overtime, both teams exchanged possessions on six made back-to-back threes, proving how badly each team wanted the win.

Head coach Seth McBroom said the team was feeling down after their loss to Summersville, but he is proud of how the team rallied together to get this win.

“I’m so excited for the kids, and I'm so proud of them all for how they competed together,” McBroom said. “We had so many players step up for us at different points of the game. I wish I could talk about all of them because they played great.

“The fact that we could bear down and win against a tough team such as Campbell says a lot about this team. This win can really propel us, but I think we are just scratching the surface of how good we could possibly be.”

Jake Hester led the Royals with 22 points, while Luke Hester added 14 points. Brett Robards chipped in with nine points and Zach Joiner added eight.

The Royals will play the number one-seeded Puxico High School on Thursday at 6 p.m.

NEELYVILLE 32, BERNIE 22

The Neelyville Tigers picked up their first win of the season on the road as they slashed past the hosting Bernie Mules 32-22.

Head coach Brad Burdin said his team is accustomed to running the floor and playing at a faster pace, but they had to adjust to the zone defense.

“Anytime you play Bernie, it will always be a tough one because they have a winning culture here,” Burdin said. “We knew coming in that we needed to be disciplined, so to compete and pull out the win is good for us. We’re just happy to come out on top with this one.”

Burdin said he was impressed with the team’s aggressiveness. He felt they guarded well and forced Bernie to take bad shots. He said making free throws will be their next task to conquer as they prepare for their next match-up.

Junior big Casen Stephens led the team with 18 points, while Drew Shands chipped in with five.