Longhorns Boys Outlast Plainsmen

Kimball did just enough to hang on for a 48-45 win over Perkins County on Friday. But point guard Zach Rockhold-O’Brien knows ‘just enough’ generally results in some form of punishment.

“We’ll have to do some running for that,” he said, referring to the team’s lackluster 7 for 15 free throw shooting mark in the final period.

Their efforts from the floor began to sail off target, as well. Kimball’s offense went 0 for eight minutes away from the line.

“The shots stopped falling,” Rockhold-O’Brien acknowledged. “And number four is a good shooter.”

The Longhorns had entered the fourth quarter up 41-32 and reasonably comfortable with their lead. But the Plainsmen opened with a quick strike, Tim Johnson hauling in a baseball pass and rolling it in. Then shortly after Caleb Reuter hit two from the line, Perkins County’s Quinton Hite--number four--netted a three to close the gap to 6 points.

“We let them back in,” Reuter said.

Big Blake Poppe, working in the paint, brought the Plainsmen within reach, 43-39. Jake Reader responded from the line, however, and Kimball broke into their stalling weave.

Then Hite fouled out.

“Perkins County has a good team,” head coach Bruce Tjosvold observed. “When number four went out, it really hurt them.”

Over the final minute of play, the visitors outscored Kimball 4-1, their final points coming when Jake Sexson bounced one off the glass with 0:04 on the clock.

With the Plainsmen out of time outs, Reuter simply held onto the ball and let time expire.

The game began with a fast and furious exchange of baskets between Reuter and Hite, the Kimball forward scoring on a hook and a baseline move. But both defenses clamped down soon after and attention shifted to a narrow, crowded space in the paint.

After Perkins County edged ahead 8-4, Reader evened things with two consecutive scores, one banged off the glass and the other from a hard fought offensive rebound.

“Their defense was pretty solid,” Reader reported.

Kimball began to wriggle free in the second quarter. Rockhold-O’Brien dropped a high arching shot from beyond the arc then two Bernie Bridge deliveries sandwiched a jumper from Colton Stull. But the visitors kept pace.

The Longhorns finally tip the counter in their favor as halftime approached. Poppe forced the baseline to give Perkins County a momentary 23-22 advantage. Rockhold-O’Brien responded with a quick move into the paint and a stop-pop jumper.

With less than 30 seconds before the break, Tjosvold called for his offense to stall for one buzzer beating shot. But when the ball rotated to Reuter, camped in three point land, the lanky forward lined up and let fly.

“We had 10 seconds,” Reuter admitted with a shrug “I figured it was a good look.”

His three handed the Longhorns a 27-23 lead heading into the locker room.

Kimball’s spree continued in the third. On the defensive end Tjosvold switched into a 2-3 zone to nullify the big Plainsmen front line. Over the next eight minutes the visitors hit a dismal 20 percent--2 of 10--from two point range.

Meanwhile Rockhold-O’Brien converted kick outs from Austin Pile and Reader into back to back treys.

“They were there,” the senior point guard said. “I didn’t hesitate.”

Reader followed him on the scoreboard, slanting into the lane to take an inbounds pass and knocking it through. After Perkins County missed on their ensuing possession, Rockhold-O’Brien drove down the left side, cut into the lane then spun around a defender for a lay up.

“That surprised me,” he said of his own acrobatic effort.

The shot completed a 15-2 Longhorns run. And two quick attempts by Hite to draw Perkins County back into the fray were cancelled out by Reader, draining a jumper from the key and muscling through two defenders along the baseline.

His power move put Kimball into the bonus and sent the game into its dramatic fourth quarter.

“Overall I thought we played really hard,” Tjosvold said. “They had to foul.”

Reader, Rockhold-O’Brien and Reuter each scored in the double digits, with Reuter grabbing 10 rebounds. Bridge hauled down 7 boards coming off the bench.

“I thought Bernie did a good job,” Tjosvold noted.

Bridge and Stull combined to tack on 9 critical points, as well.

Kimball heads to Hershey on Friday evening, returning home on Saturday to face Bayard.