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With the score tied at 65-all and less than 10 seconds remaining, the game seemed sure to head to overtime. The Pirates' Cody Allhands passed the ball to Kaleb Blackwell at the corner, who slipped it to Zach Dinwiddie under the net. Dinwiddie's attempt at a layup drew a foul instead.
Dinwiddie was two of two at the foul line, sealing the Pirates' victory of in the final three seconds. Dinwiddie remained cool as he recalled what he was thinking during those decisive shots.
"Nothing. I wasn't thinking anything--just playing. Just a game," said Dinwiddie.
The Blue Jays overpowered the Pirates through three quarters. They were led by Austin Carmichael with 25 points, including six treys. Allhands prevented a runaway victory, scoring 26 of his total 30 points before the 4th quarter.
At the opening of the 4th quarter, Allhands and Blackwell fought to retain possession through two failed shot attempts. Ben Weinreis delivered a three-pointer that energized the Pirates. Weinreis scored 17 points for the night.
The Pirates snatched three unforced turnovers and delivered five of six shots at the foul line during the 4th period.
Trailing 65-63, the Blue Jays' Riley Keith went to the foul line with 14 seconds remaining. He made both of his attempts, seemingly securing an overtime matchup. The quick maneuvers of the Pirates' offense sealed a surprise victory.
Allhands reflected on the Pirates' turnaround during the 4th quarter.
"It was intense. We got chewed out in the locker room at halftime, so when we came out, we were ready. We were fired up. We didn't want to lose to them," said Allhands.
Ash Grove head coach Jeremy Nicholson credited his team for fighting back.
"We were a little awestruck by their size. They have two really good players, and they have shooters around them. Every single player from Greenwood knows their role, and they do it to perfection. When you do that, you're a pretty good team. We struggled guarding them all night. Fortunately, we gutted it out," said Nicholson.
Greenwood head coach Darren Taylor expressed regret for decisions his team made late in the game.
"I thought we made some bad decisions in the third quarter. We got about a 5-point lead, and we decided that we weren't going to run our offense. We took about four possessions off and let them get back in it. But I can't fault my kids' effort. I thought they played extremely hard," said Taylor.
Greenwood will next host Weaubleau on Thursday while Ash Grove will host Miller on Friday.
Ash Grove 16 18 15 18 -- 67
Greenwood 16 20 15 14 -- 65
Greenwood: Austin Carmichael 25, Nathan Carmichael 15, Riley Keith 22, Mason Priest 3
Ash Grove: Cody Allhands 30, Ben Weinreis 17, Kaleb Blackwell 8, Garrett Cline 4, Zach Dinwiddie 4, Joseph Christensen 2, Alex O'Brien 2
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