SAVANNAH, Mo. — The road back to the championship game of the 90th Savannah Invitational for Platte County included going through two of the best teams in Class 3 last season.
The Pirates made the finals for the second year in a row, but this time settled for second place after losing 64-46 to Maryville on Saturday, Dec. 1.
Maryville rode the scoring of Eli Dowis and Tate Oglesby to win the crown, after losing to Platte County in the semifinals last season.
The Spoofhounds, a Class 3 quarterfinalist, led 17-13 after the first quarter behind four 3-pointers — two by Dowis. Platte County (2-1) kept pace thanks to three treys — one each from Brady Wright, Anthony Barlow and Dawson Wood, who had seven of the team’s 13.
Oglesby paced the ‘Hounds in the second by scoring the first seven points and finished with 11 in the second quarter. Dowis, a Northwest Missouri State football pledge, added seven and had 13 in the first half —two behind Ogelsby.
JON DYKSTRA/Maryville Daily Forum
Platte County junior Will Hay, right, goes up for a basket against Maryville in the championship game of the 90th annual Savannah Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 1. Guarding him on the play is Maryville’s Garrett Dumke. The Spoofhounds won the game to keep the Pirates from repeating as tournament champions.
At the break, those two had 28 and the Pirates had 18 combined.
The only points in the second quarter for Platte County were two baskets by Wright, who shared a team-high with 15 points with Wood.
The lone all-tournament pick for the Pirates, Wood had eight in the fourth quarter and finished with three 3-pointers in the loss.
Three Maryville players finished in double figures: Oglesby with 17, Dowis with 15 and Tyler Houchin with 10. Oglesby and Dowis were two of the six all-tourney picks.
Platte County 52, Hogan Prep 49
To reach the championship game, the Pirates pulled off quite the upset in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 30, beating the No. 2-ranked Rams.
The defending state champions — who bested Maryville in the quarterfinals — don’t have a single returning player back that saw time in the championship game.
Platte County trailed by five entering the final quarter, but rattled off 20 points — more than the entire first half — to pull away for the victory.
The key to the comeback was the play of Dawson Wood and Dylan Gilbert, who combined for 19 of the Pirates’ 20 points.
Wood had nine of his 15 in the frame, while Gilbert accounted for 10 of his 12. Will Hay also finished in double figures for Platte County with 10.
Kevin Sorrels had 21 for Hogan Prep, while Ra’Jon Hill had 12.
Platte County 54, Benton 47
Tied four different times, the Pirates found themselves down by a bucket late in the third quarter when Braydon Dilley scored for the Cardinals.
With 0.1 seconds left in the quarter, Dylan Marshall hit a pair of free throws to tie the game for the Pirates.
Benton went up again early in the fourth, but a 12-3 run by Platte County helped seal the win.
Wood, Will Hay, Marshall and Brady Wright all scored during the surge, which made it 47-40.
CODY THORN/Citizen photo
Platte County senior Dylan Gilbert, right, shoots a 3-pointer in front of Benton’s Chol Ater in the first half of the tournament opener on Wednesday, Nov. 29. The Pirates won the game, 54-47.
Benton pulled within 49-45 with 1:43 to go, but free throws — 7 of 8 in the fourth — allowed Platte County to ice the game away.
Marshall had a game-high 16, while Wright and Justin Barkley had 11 each. Barkley made three of the Pirates’ four 3-pointers.
Benton got 13 points from Kason Mauzey and 12 from Dilley
Up next
Due to a schedule conflict in Belton, the Pirates will have three home games in row. Starting on Friday, Dec. 7, the Pirates host Belton, then Truman on Dec. 11 and Grain Valley on Dec. 14 in a divisional game.