TIGER SHOOTOUT: TIGERS FIRE FINAL SHOT, MISS COLTS

When it comes to boy's athletics, Parkway Central is known for its football.

The Jackson High football team can attest to that as the Colts ended the Indians undefeated season in the 5A quarterfinals on the way to a runner-up state finish this season.

Heck, even when the Colts play basketball, the final score resembles that of a gridiron total.

That was the situation Saturday night in the fifth and final contest of the 3rd Annual Tiger Classic at Cape Central High School.

Parkway beat the Cape Central Tigers by a field goal -- the 3-point variety -- with a 49-46 decision.

"We've really struggled to score this year," said Colts' coach Rick Kirby. "Tonight felt like a nice offensive performance, yet we only scored 49 points."

The Colts, coming off a 49-38 Friday-night loss to Marquette, improved their record to 5-12 with the victory. The Tigers, struggling through a four-game losing streak, fell to 6-8.

"I wouldn't say this is the lowest point, but it's the worst our record's been and this is obviously a long losing streak here," said Central coach Brett Reutzel. "We just have to work hard and get better."

Parkway's Antwaun Bynum, an all-state linebacker getting tons of attention from Division I football recruiters, displayed his athletic skills on the court with a game-high 28 points. The 6-foot-2, 215 pound senior scored 13 points in the first half and 15 in the second to the lead the Colts, who shot 52 percent (22 of 42) from the field.

"Antwaun is just a tenacious athlete," said Kirby. "He gives me everything he has when he's on the floor and he stepped up tonight and played extremely well for us.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that without him we wouldn't have won."

Cape shot just 26 percent through the first three quarters before rallying in the fourth quarter to make it close. The Tigers made 9 of 12 shots in the final frame, including eight in a row, to pull within a final shot of the Colts.

"I think our intensity and our enthusiasm picked up," Rueztel said of the Tigers' hot-shooting fourth quarter. "We just turned it up a notch there, but our notch has to be turned up when we start."

With Parkway leading 49-46, Bynum missed a lay-up with six seconds remaining that would have sealed the outcome for the Colts. Central's Travis Cox quickly dribbled upcourt and was fouled with 1.8 seconds remaining.

After a Parkway timeout, the Tigers inbounded the ball from in front of their own bench, but Aron Meystedt's rushed 3-pointer from 23-feet out was well off the mark and the Colts escaped with the victory.

Chris Bergerson's eight fourth-quarter points, including two 3-pointers, helped lead the Tigers back. The 6-5 senior ended with a team-high 15 points. Ross Conner and Travis Williamson scored 11 each.

"Our inside game was absent at the beginning of the game and we need to get the ball inside," said Reutzel. "Ross Conner scored inside, Chris Bergerson can score inside, but we weren't patient enough at the beginning of the ball game.

"We dug ourselves a hole and we never could get our way out of it."

Parkway made 9 of 10 shots in the first quarter to take a 20-13 lead after one quarter. The Tigers were 5 of 15 in the quarter, including 1 of 8 shooting from behind the 3-point-line.

Both teams cooled off in the second and third quarters, scoring a total of just 25 points between them. The Tigers gained only a point during that time to trail 32-26 entering the fourth quarter.

The Tigers got as close as 45-43 with 1:27 left, and had the ball with 51 seconds left after a steal by Bergerson. But the Colts' Andy Seeger stole a Tiger pass and dished to 6-2 senior James Glass, who slammed the ball home while being fouled to put Parkway ahead 47-43 with 36.8 seconds left.