WINNETONKA – In a game of momentum swings, it was Smithville that had enough juice in the final minute to get the squeeze, ending Platte County’s season, 55-48.
Platte County senior Brady Wetzel was fouled while making a shot setting up an and-one situation that Wetzel converted during the third quarter of the Pirates’ 55-48 loss to the Warriors on Feb. 29.
It was the third time this season Platte County (13-13) lost to Smithville (14-13), this time in the opening round of the Class 5 District 8 Boys’ Basketball Tournament at host site Winnetonka High School on Feb. 29. It was also the Pirates’ fifth consecutive loss to close out the season.
The Pirates came into the game shorthanded with leading scorer, senior Judah Vignery, sidelined with an illness. Other players stepped up to carry the weight, like junior Jaden Peterson with a team-leading 15 points and senior Brady Wetzel with 11 points.
At the end of the first period, Platte County had a 17-11 lead thanks to an 8-0 run the last 90 seconds that included two made 3-point shots. The Pirates connected on three long-ball shots in the period by three different players, including Wetzel, sophomore Brennan McLaughlin and junior Anthony Morrison.
The run was broken up by a foul with 12 seconds left and Smithville connected on both free throws. The Warriors carried the momentum into the second quarter completing their own 8-0 run to tie the game at 17-17 with less than 90 seconds ticking off the clock.
By halftime, the Warriors had turned a six-point deficit into a six-point lead, 31-25. The Pirates battled back in the third quarter and got three consecutive buckets from Morrison to erase Smithville’s lead with about three minutes left in the third period.
The Pirates took a slim 41-40 lead into the fourth quarter by doing a much better job on the boards and winning the scrambles to loose balls. The Pirates scored two buckets to open the final period with a made foul shot by Smithville sandwiched in to take a 45-41 lead with a little over six minutes left in the game.
However, over the next four minutes, the Warriors went on an 8-0 run to take a 49-45 lead. Peterson cut the Smithville lead to one possession with 25 seconds left with two clutch free throws but on the inbound pass, Smithville senior Toby Ford was able to get behind the defense for a layup.
After getting a stop Ford would sink two free throws to ice the game. Ford scored only four points in the game, all in the last 25 seconds. Other contributing scorers were Morrison with nine points followed by McLaughlin with seven points.