Ottumwa -- For the third year in a row, Southeastern has sent the Indian Hills basketball team to the postseason sideline. The BlackHawks held off a furious IHCC rally over the final three minutes to escape with a 61-58 victory on Wednesday night to win the best-of-three series 2-0.
SCC looked like they were going to coast to a win when they took a 14-point lead into the final three minutes of regulation. That's when the Indian Hills offense finally woke up. A 14-1 run punctuated by nine straight points by Latroy Taylor brought the Warriors back to within a point at 59-58.
And even after SCC's Paris Gulley made a pair of free throws with 14.0 seconds left, the Warriors still had a chance to tie the game. But Chad Dillard's three-point attempt was off the mark. Gary Ricks grabbed the rebound for the Warriors and dribbled into the corner where he got off a shot that was off the side of the rim with seconds to go.
It was revealed later that Ricks' try would have only been good for two points if it had gone in as he wasn't able to get all the way behind the three-point arc in his haste to beat the horn.
At the end, the Warriors had to look no further than the free throw line to see why they were unable to force a third and deciding game in the series. Indian Hills made only 11-of-25 foul shots. Four times in the game, an IHCC player went to the line with two shots and missed both.
For the second game in a row, Indian Hills outshot SCC from the field -- 41% to 38% in this contest. But the BlackHawks made 16 of their 23 free throws for 70% to the Warriors' 44% foul shooting.
Three of SCC's misfires at the free throw line came during the final minutes, fueling the Indian Hills comeback attempt.
They missed the front end of two one-and-ones and the second of a two-shot foul and the Warriors took advantage.
Riley Stuve and Ricks started the late-game blitz by IHCC and then Taylor caught fire. He scored on a layup, was fouled and made the free throw. The freshman guard then made consecutive threes to shave the SCC lead to one.
It as reminiscent of Monday when Indian Hills drilled four 3s in the final 50 seconds. But in this game, like the one two nights before, a bad start to the second half doomed the Warriors.
Mansa Habeeb got a steal and a layup to give SCC a 24-22 halftime lead. And just like in the previous game, the BlackHawks jumped on the Warriors at the outset of the second half.
They ran out to a 41-30 lead and built the advantage to 51-35 on a pair of free throws by Mason Leggett. And Indian Hills couldn't get untracked until the clock went under three minutes.
After falling behind in the series, the Warriors needed a good start and they got it, jumping out to an early 9-2 lead. But SCC stormed back to go ahead for the first time on a three-pointer by Jordan Aaron.
The game was tied four times the rest of the half, until Habeeb sent SCC off leading by two at the break.
Dijon Farr had led the Warriors' scoring with 25 points in Monday's game. But he picked up his third foul with nine minutes to play in the first half and eventually fouled out late in the game with only three points.
Jerome Jones had 17 in the earlier game, all in the second half. He had six of IHCC's first nine points and 13 in the first half. He led the Warriors with 18. Stuve and Taylor added 11 each.
Gulley led all scorers with 19 points and Habeeb added 16.
Southeastern moves on to play Williston State College in the District 11 title game in Williston, N.D next Tuesday. The Warriors close the year with a 23-10 record.
SOUTHEASTERN 61, INDIAN HILLS 58
INDIAN HILLS Stephen Coles 1 0-2 2, Jerome Jones 7 3-6 18, Dijon Farr 1 1-4 3, Riley Stuve 4 2-3 11, Chad Dillard 1 4-7 6, Gary Ricks, Jr. 3 0-0 7, Latroy Taylor 4 1-3 11, D.J. Bennett 0 0-0 0 Team 21 11-25 58
SOUTHEASTERN Paris Gulley 7 2-2 19, Mason Leggett 1 2-4 4, Mansa Habeeb 6 3-4 16, Rinaldo Mafra 1 1-2 3, Jordan Aaron 4 6-9 15, Gilbert Bush 0 2-2 2, Bida Seck 1 0-0 2, Myles Fitten 0 0-0 0, Tyrie Orosco 0 0-0 0 Team 20 16-23 61
Halftime score: Southeastern 24, Indian Hills 22; Three-point field goals: SCC 5 (Gulley 3, Habeeb 1, Aaron 1), IHCC 5 (Taylor 2, Jones 1, Stuve 1, Ricks 1)
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