FERGUSON 3 WINS IT FOR BEARCATS

Shooters keep shooting.

While his teammates were lighting it up from 3-point land from the start until midway through the third quarter, Raiden Ferguson couldn’t get a shot to fall. Until he did. Then he was deadly.

Ferguson hit a 3 pointer with three seconds to play in the second overtime to lift the Bearcats to a 57-54 win over Heavener, Okla., in the Battle on the Border tournament semifinals in Arkoma Thursday.

It was the 15th 3-pointer for the Bearcats (6-1) in the game.

It wasn’t Ferguson’s first big shot from three-point land.

Out of a time out with 14.7 seconds to play in regulation and with the Bearcats trailing by three Mason Goers drove the lane but passed up a shot in favor of Ferguson who drained a 3 to tie it at 44-44.

Goers also had a big hand in the win.

In the first overtime the Bearcats fell behind but Goers scored inside to tie it at 46. Down again at 49-46 Ferguson hit a 3 to retie it at 49-49.

After the Wolves got a free throw with 52.2 seconds left in the first extra session, Goers hit one of two as well with 37.3 seconds left and a second overtime was coming.

Heavener got out to a 54-50 lead with a 3 and a free throw in the first 1:42 of the second overtime but C.J. Johnson scored his first points since halftime on the next offensive possession and it was 54-52.

Goers retied it at 54-54 with 1:40 to play in the period.

It was still tied at 54 when the Wolves took a time out with 24.9 seconds to go and had possession. A turnover gave the ball back to the Bearcats.

London Lee found Ferguson from just off the top of the key and Ferguson drained another 3 to win it.

Early on it was Johnson raining 3s. The junior hit four in the first quarter – Colter Fisher hit one too – and the Bearcats led 15-10.

Rylen Ray started the second quarter scoring with a 3 and Johnson hit his fifth with 5:00 left in the first half.

Lee took his turn hitting a 3 with 2:34 left in the half and the Bearcats eventually built a 27-18 before a 3 by the Wolves made it 27-21 at the half.

Lee started the Bearcat second half scoring with a 3 and Ferguson got his first shot to fall. Threes by Goers and Ray pushed the lead to 39-28.

Then it all went cold.

Heavener got a basket just before the end of the third quarter and then proceeded to go on a 16-0 run to take a 44-39 lead with 3:32 to play.

Heavener then got conservative and eventually lost possession of the ball.

Fisher hit both ends of a one-and-one with 1:26 left cut it to 44-41 before two missed free throws with 24.4 seconds to play gave the Bearcats a chance.

The win moves the Bearcats into the finals against Kinta at 7:25 Saturday night. Kinta has beaten Union Christian and Arkoma to reach the finals.

Bearcats 75 Braggs 44

The Bearcats had earned a semifinal spot in the tournament by pounding Braggs, Okla, 75-44 on Tuesday.

Colter Fisher scored the first seven points of the game. Braggs scored the next four but that was as close as it would get.

It was 20-6 through a quarter and 44-17 at the half.

Braggs got it to 50-31 late in the third quarter before the Bearcats pulled away.

Evan Escobedo led all player with 19 points. Fisher finished with 15, London Lee added 12, and Rylen Ray contributed eight.