With sophomore Kyle Green nailing a long three-pointer at the close of regulation to tie the game at 53-53, the Switzerland County Pacers went into overtime in the semifinal game of the Rivertown Classic against the Lawrenceburg Tigers last Thursday night, earning a 66-62 victory.
Senior guard Travis Webster took over the game in the overtime period, scoring 10 of the team’s 13 overtime points, pushing the Pacers into Saturday night’s championship tilt versus South Dearborn.
Travis Webster was first to score in the four-minute overtime period, connecting on two buckets and adding two more at the line to push the lead to 59-53.
Lawrenceburg then connected on two at the line and then added a bucket to get within two points of the Pacers lead; but Aaron Moore answered back with a basket to expand the lead to 61-57. The Tigers then added a basket and one at the line; while Kyle Green added one at the line for the Pacers.
Travis Webster would finish off the scoring at the charity stripe to seal the win for Switzerland County; connecting on all four attempts to provide the final margin of victory.
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The contest began as a back-and-forth affair, as the Tigers had outscored the Pacers in the first quarter 9-6. Mark Sharp, Travis Webster and Kyle Green scored for Switzerland County in the opening stanza.
During the second quarter Kyle Green contributed two points with a basket while Aaron Moore connected on a bucket and also added four points from the charity stripe. T.J. Sefton scored a bucket in the final seconds, and both teams headed to the locker room with the score tied at 16-16.
The third quarter saw the scoring pick up on both sides, as each squad scored more in the period than they had in the entire first half. It continued to be a tight battle, with Lawrenceburg outscoring the Pacers 18-17.
T.J. Sefton was the big offensive weapon for Switzerland County in the period, hitting two three-pointers, hit buckets from the floor; and also three more from the freethrow line to account for 13 of the Pacer points in the stanza.
Aaron Moore had two points in the period to continue his impressive game; while Travis Webster also had a basket.
The final quarter of regulation got underway with Kyle Green burying a three-pointer, the beginning of him having nine points in the closing quarter.
Aaron Moore connected on a bucket and added a point from the stripe; while T.J. Sefton and Jordan Hinman each added a bucket during the fourth quarter.
Travis Webster scored a point from the charity stripe and connected on a three-point bucket to draw the Pacers to within three points; and as the clock ticked down to end the game, Kyle Green’s three-pointer beat the buzzer, tied the game, and sent both teams into overtime.
Travis Webster led the Pacers with 18 points in the game, including some clutch points in the overtime period. He also had five steals and seven rebounds.
T.J. Sefton finished with 17 points and six steals; and Kyle Green had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. Aaron Moore also finished in the double figures with 13 points; while Mark Sharp and Jordan Hinman had two points each.
Cliff Meyer had seven rebounds in the first two quarters of the game.
“Aaron Moore, T. J. Sefton and Travis Webster definitely gave the team a lift when it was needed,” head coach Brian Bowen said after the game. “Aaron Moore played some big minutes. We knew he could score, and he stepped up and made shots at some crucial times.”
Coach Bowen also praised the total team effort of his squad, as injury and fouls worked deep into the bench.
“We did have some rebounding trouble in the second half with Cliff Meyer missing the second half with sickness,” Coach Bowen said. “Matt Johnson also stepped up at when the team needed him. Our defense was consistent and it helped the offense build the confidence they needed to up score. It was a great team effort for everyone. One player may not have it one night, but we depend on our team mates to lift us up.”