COX HELPED TIGERS FIND BIG PLAYS JUST IN TIME

After watching big plays through much of the fourth quarter, Cape Central found room for a pair of its own.

The tournament record books will show that fourth-seeded Cape Central bumped off the top two teams in the 52nd annual University High Christmas Tournament, capping the run with a 62-56 win Monday over Scott City.

It won't show the missed time out or the Travis Cox's clutch 5-point run that sent Scott City to its first loss of the season.

Scott City trailed 57-56 when Cox was fouled, then hit both free throws with 20 seconds to play. With Scott City coach Derek McCord trying to call time out, Cox stole the ball near the top of the key, outran Howie Stubenrauch to the basket and was fouled just as his shot fell through.

With :05 on the clock, Cox scored Central's 62nd point -- its final one -- of the game.

"They put me in to play defense mostly, because I've played some pretty good defense this tournament -- that's my game," said Cox. "My job is defense and to get the ball to Nathan (Owen) or the other scorers."

Before his fourth-quarter dramatics, Cox's only points of the game came on a free throw in the second quarter. His six points Monday was one shy of his season-high set against DeSoto in early December.

But his game Monday wasn't about offense. He didn't really need it.

"I'm not very offensively involved, but I try to get everybody else involved," he said. "I practice free throws every day, and those two just dropped in. It was clutch time, so I did what I could."

Before Cox stepped up, the big plays had gone Scott City's way in the final eight minutes.

There was Dustin Cauble's steal and layup early in the fourth quarter. The play drew Scott City to within two points of Cape Central, 46-44, in the University High Christmas Tournament final.

Then there was the next play when Tim Lowery spoiled another Central possession by stealing the ball, falling to the floor and calling time out in time to prevent a traveling call.

Lowery's basket after the time out made it a tied game. The Rams were behind by one when Central lost an inbound pass and lost possession with :42 to play. Jon Beck's ensuing layup rolled off the Scott City rim, opening the way for Cox's 5-point clincher.

"There were about 20 seconds left, we had the ball and we were on the bench screaming for a time out," McCord said. "We wanted to set up a 3-point play for Beck or Lowery, but they couldn't hear me calling for time out. We didn't get the time out and then turned it over, and it was a matter of sending them to the line after that."