Alva Review-Courier -

It was a fight to the finish as the Class 3A Alva Goldbugs took on the 4A Cleveland Tigers in winners’ bracket semi-finals at Pawhuska Friday. The teams were tied when the final buzzer sounded, sending them into overtime. Alva held Cleveland to four points in the extra time while putting in ten to emerge victorious 65-59.

Cleveland led at the end of the first quarter 18-14, but the Goldbugs pulled ahead by one at the half for a 24-23 lead. In the third quarter, the Goldbugs scored 18 points to 13 for the Tigers to lead 18-13. Cleveland caught up in the fourth to tie the game at 55, sending the teams into overtime.

First Half

Alva senior Kaden Slater opened the scoring with a right wing three after securing a rebound. Austin Reed followed with a basket. Kyler Kauk answered with two points for Cleveland. Reed widened Alva’s margin with a trey from the right wing, but Kauk added a three-pointer for Cleveland. Alva led by three at 10-5.

Slater scored on a jumper but Kylen Thoma put in a basket for Cleveland. Then Kauk sank a three to tie the game at ten. Cleveland’s Shane Hamilton hit back-to-back treys to give the Tigers a six-point lead. Then Josh McEntire added two more for Cleveland. Goldbug Kyler Penco scored on a basket. Then Reed was called for a charge. With two fouls each Reed and Jackson Feely went to the bench. Penco added another basket before the quarter expired with Cleveland leading 18-14.

Alva’s Jaxon Jones opened second quarter scoring with a stick-back basket. Dylan Baker scored on a jumper for the Tigers. Penco sank a layup, but McEntire scored from three-point range. Penco hit another jumper, and the lead was narrowed to 23-20 in Cleveland’s favor.

Braden Hofen finished out the third period and gave Alva the lead with back-to-back baskets, both on assists from Daylon Malone. At the half, the Goldbugs led 24-23.

Second Half

Penco scored a basket to open the second half. He missed another try, but Reed was there to stick the ball back up and score. Alva now led 28-23. Baker narrowed the margin with a Tiger basket. Penco stole the ball, raced down the court and scored. He was fouled and made the free throw. Feely added another Alva basket on a Reed assist. Hunter Sizemore went to the charity stripe for the Tigers but missed both tries. Feely added another basket, and Alva led 35-25.

Hamilton hit a three-pointer for the Tigers. Then Hofen scored a basket and was fouled. He made the free throw to maintain the ten-point lead. Weston Tucker got on the scoreboard with a basket on a Malone assist to put Alva up by 12. The Goldbug lead was narrowed when McEntire hit a three-point shot and was fouled. He made the extra point, and Alva led 40-32.

Kauk was next at the charity line, making both shots for Cleveland. Reed scored for Alva on a put-back. Kauk went to the free throw line and made both chances to close out the quarter. Alva led 42-36.

The fourth quarter was littered with free throws. Scoring began with a bucket from Dylan Buerker. Malone made a strip steal, went down the court and made the layup. McEntire cut the Alva lead to three when he sank a trey. Kauk went over Hofen to score a basket. Kauk then hit a long range three to pull ahead by two.

Feely regained the Goldbug lead with a deep right wing three on a Reed assist. Feely followed up with a jumper for two more points. Kauk made two successive trips to the free throw line to add four points for Cleveland and tie the score at 49. Hofen went to the foul line and made one of two tries. Kauk was next at the charity stripe, making one of two chances to tie the game at 50.

Penco put Alva ahead with a basket. Penco was fouled on a shot and made one of two tries. Kauk followed at the free throw line, making both and narrowing Alva’s lead to one. Penco scored a basket and was fouled. He missed the charity shot, and Alva led 55-52. Hamilton sank a trey to tie the score. Slater went for a shot at the buzzer that didn’t go in, and the game was headed to overtime with a 55-55 tie.

Overtime

McEntire tried for a three-pointer that didn’t go in. Penco went in for a shot but was fouled by Baker. That was Baker’s fifth foul, and he was benched. Penco made one of two free throws.

McEntire hit a layup to put Cleveland up by one. Reed scored a bucket and regained the Alva lead. Buerker hit a basket but was fouled. He missed the free throw, and Cleveland led by one.

Feely sank a three-point shot from the right wing to give the Goldbugs a two-point lead. Penco was fouled and made both shots to widen the margin. Feely was fouled by Sizemore. It was Sizemore’s fifth, and he was out of the game. Feely coolly sank both free throw shots in the final seconds, and Alva won 65-59.

Wrap-Up

The win upped Alva’s record to 16-1 while Cleveland moves to 12-4 for the season. The Goldbugs earned the chance to play for the tournament championship Saturday, and Cleveland will be in the third place playoff.

Penco led the Alva scoring with 21 points followed by Feely with 14 and Reed with 11. Hofen had eight and Slater five. Malone, Tucker and Jones each had two points.

Cleveland scoring was led by Kauk with 23 followed by McEntire with 14 and Hamilton 12. Buerker and Baker had four each while Thoma had two.