4 overtimes & 1 big win for Bartlett

ARLINGTON — The 2018 Region 7-3A Boys Basketball Tournament championship game went to four overtimes last Thursday.

When the dust settled over the Bolton Gymnasium court, it was the Bartlett Panthers victorious over the No. 1 seeded Cordova Wolves 82-73.

A defensive battle transformed into a chess match between Bartlett Head Coach Dion Real and Cordova leader Terrance Scales. Scales would lose key pieces such as senior guard Tyler Harris in the second overtime. Meanwhile Real’s key parts such as Wynne Brown, Shemar Johnson, Takori Rooks Tyler Carpenter and Jefferson Walker made clutch plays down the stretch for the upset.

The contest was close throughout, deadlocked at halftime at 25-25. Cordova was able to take a 39-37 lead into the fourth quarter after a Harris triple.

In the fourth quarter the Panthers were paced by their backcourt of Brown, Walker and Sylvester Thompson to outscore the Wolves 14-12. Walker made a layup near the end of regulation to tie the game at 51-51.

Both teams received a pair of free throws in the first overtime to deadlock the game at 53-53. The scoring picked up in the second overtime with Cordova and Bartlett trading foul shots.

The scoreboard read 57-57 heading into the third overtime. Cordova was able to jump out 62-59 late in the extra period. Then Bartlett junior guard Shemar Johnson came up clutch nailing a three-pointer to send the contest into a fourth overtime.

Rodney Mason got the Panthers off to a good start in the final overtime, making 4 of 4 free throws. Add a Walker jumper and Rickey Lofties’ basket, and Bartlett was ahead 69-62.

Takori Rooks made a layup and foul shot to make the score 72-62 to seize control of the game. Down the stretch, the two teams traded baskets, with Bartlett claiming the Region title by 9 points.

Cordova had to travel for Sub-State Monday to play the East Mustangs. The Panthers’ victory set up a Monday night showdown on the campus of Bartlett High School against the Whitehaven Tigers.