Jefferson handles pressure better than Braves

The diameter of the rim and the size of the basketball never change.

But pressure changes everything.

For Scott County Central, a team that thrived all year putting defensive pressure on other teams, crunch time in Thursday's Class 1 state semifinal game against Jefferson was an occasion when the rims were tighter than normal.

The Braves made 2-of-7 field goals in the final 2 minutes, 44 seconds as a three-point lead evaporated, and they found themselves trying to make a desperate comeback.

They nearly pulled it off against a team that has made a habit of fourth-quarter comebacks in Columbia. Down 70-68, the Braves had their senior leader, D.D. Gillespie — "a hustler and a worker and a winner," Braves coach Ronnie Cookson called him — at the free-throw line with 1.5 seconds to play. This one should have gone to overtime.

Again, the rims were not kind. Gillespie's first free throw hit the back rim, and his attempt to put a ball in play on the second free throw landed in the hands of Jefferson's Craig Mattson.

The Eagles, who had used fourth-quarter rallies to deny Bell City in the last two Class 1 state championship games, did it again Thursday.

They outscored the Braves 18-12 in the final period, after Scott County had positioned itself for the title based on Drew Thomas' 5-of-5 shooting effort to close the third period.

In fact, Scott County hit its last eight field goals over a 4:06 span in the third to turn a 47-40 deficit into a 56-52 lead.

"It's one thing to shoot well," Jefferson coach Tim Jermain said. "It's another thing to hit the shots they were hitting."

But the rally from a large hole and the fourth-quarter cold spell were reminiscent of Scott County's previous two losses this season, both also in highly anticipated showdowns.

There was the first-half deficit Thursday, which swelled to 14 points as the Braves opened in a funk.

It was reminiscent of the 21-point lead Bell City built on the Braves before hanging on for a 75-72 win Nov. 30 in the championship game of the Oran Invitational.

And then there was that late cold spell, reminiscent of what happened to the Braves after they had closed within two points of Class 4 state champion Notre Dame with 2 minutes to play, only to go into a drought that resulted in an 8-2 Bulldogs run and a 68-60 decision during the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament.

Scott County entered the game averaging 85.1 points per game, but this was not a team of sharpshooters. The Braves were 0-of-8 on 3-pointers Thursday. They had made just one in the quarterfinal game, but still scored 98 points.

Putbacks, steals and layins — those helped drive Scott County's field goal percentage to 55.2 for the year and to 50 on Thursday.

But Jefferson shot 66.7 percent in the second half and 57.8 for the game.

In the fourth period, they rallied from behind by turning a missed free throw into two more free throws, by turning back the Braves on two chances to bump the lead to five late, by doing the things two-time defending champions do.

The Eagles have been here before. They've prevailed in crunch time at Mizzou Arena. They know pressure, and even how to handle the kind of defensive pressure Scott County plays.

The Braves, on the other hand, had been involved in only four previous games of 10 points or less, splitting the four.

"With all the talent we've got, we could've beaten them," Thomas said. "They did the little things."

Cookson agreed.

"They were hot," he said. "They had all the rolls off the glass, everything. It's hard to stop something like that."

Close games also make teams do things they normally don't do. Possessions become valuable, and Scott County's penchant for treating possessions like loose change they can get anytime they want was replaced by the realization missed shots might mean the end of a title chase. Cookson downplayed the change of pace.

"We run our offense every once in a while, believe it or not," he said. "We were just looking for a good shot. I don't think it had any affect on the game.

"The kids played hard. I'm proud of them. Third or fourth ain't bad in the state."

It might not be what seniors Gillespie and Caleb Johnson wanted.

But it may be good experience for next year.

Toby Carrig is editor of the Web site www.semoball.com