BEARCATS NEED DOUBLE OVERTIME IN BATTLE, AGAIN

Sophomore Noah Harrel gave the Bearcats the lead. Classmate Wesley Fonseca got a steal just before the second overtime ended and the Bearcats outlasted Mulberry 56-54 to reach the finals of the Battle on the Border tournament in Arkoma, Okla.

Mulberry, the five seed had beaten Braggs, Okla., on Monday to face the top seeded Bearcats.

Colter Fisher led the Bearcats with 25 points and had 10 rebounds but it was an assist that provided the winner when he found Harrel in the corner for a 3 to make it 55-54 with 28 seconds left in the second overtime.

When Mulberry was unable to answer, a foul sent C.J. Johnson to the line and he pushed it to 56-54.

Before Mulberry could get off a shot attempt to force a third overtime or win it, Fonseca stole the ball to finally wrap up the Bearcat win.

Fisher had scored the first points of the second overtime but the Yellow Jackets had scored twice in a 36 second span to go up 54-52 before Harrel gave the Bearcats the lead.

Mulberry took a 5-4 lead with 3:22 left in the first quarter and stayed in front until a Raiden Ferguson 3 with 6:43 to play made it 33-32.

Though Mulberry led, the lead was, obviously, never insurmountable. The Bearcats were down as many as seven in the first half and as many as eight in the third quarter.

It was 32-25 at the start of the final quarter. Eight seconds into the quarter Fisher had a conventional three-point play to cut it to 32-28.

Johnson had assists to Ferguson on a basket then again on the 3 that made it 33-32 with 6:43 to go.

From there the lead changed hands six times including on baskets by Ferguson, who scored 17 and had 10 rebounds, and Fisher.

The later came after a furious theft exchange that led to a Harrel basket to make cut a Mulberry lead to 40-39.

Mulberry started the first overtime with a conventional three-point play but the Bearcats scored the next seven points, including five by Fisher, and led 49-45 with 1:19 left in the extra period.

After the Yellow Jackets got within 49-47, a free throw by Fisher with 28.2 to play made it a three point game. A couple of free throw misses with 15.7 seconds to go opened the door and a 3 at the buzzer forced a second extra period.

The Bearcats needed two overtimes to beat Heavener, Okla., in the 2021 tournament. The win over Mulberry give the Bearcats a finals appearance with Heavener at 8:20 Friday night.