Late free throws lift Advance past Woodland

Advance sophomore Jeremy Limbaugh has not made many big shots in his brief varsity career.

But with his sixth-seeded Hornets down two points with less than 10 seconds on the clock, Limbaugh made three big free throws to help the Hornets squeak past No. 11 Woodland 50-49 in the first round of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament on Friday at the Show Me Center.

"I was nervous because the game was on my shoulders," Limbaugh said, "but I figured I was going to go for three so it would be over."

Limbaugh's free throws came after a late Advance comeback cut the Woodland lead to 49-47. Advance passed the ball around before Limbaugh was fouled while attempting a 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds left.

With the three free throws, Advance (4-2) took its first lead since it made a free throw for a 1-0 lead. Advance will face No. 3 Scott City today at 7:30 p.m.

"If we had played the whole game with as much intensity as the fourth quarter, we'd have been a lot better off," Advance coach Jim Hall said.

Following an afternoon of lopsided scores, the Show Me Center crowd looked like it might see yet another after the Cardinals puled ahead by as many as 16 in the first half. Woodland (6-2) opened the second quarter with a 14-4 run and pulled ahead 34-18 late in the quarter on a Cody McCraw 3-pointer.

"It seemed like every bounce was going against us early in the game," Hall said.

Drew Sherman led Advance on a third-quarter charge with seven straight points, which helped bring the lead to 38-29. Daryl Wade's 3-pointer at the end of the quarter made it 42-37.

The fourth quarter featured short runs by both teams. Advance jumped out with four early points to cut the lead to 42-41. Woodland got the lead back to 49-43 before the Hornets scored the final seven points.

"We've been in four games where with a minute left it was a one-point game, and this was the first one we lost," Woodland coach David Mirly said. "You're not going to win all the close ones."

Tyler Bowman led all scorers with 17. Travis Benfield led Woodland with 15 points. McCraw added 12 points, and Chad Hulvey had 10.

jjoffray@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 171