Bay gets 3 late in OT

It was far from easy, but Bay got the job done.

Ashton Price drilled a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in overtime to give the ninth-seeded Rockets a 74-71 victory over eighth-seeded Lutheran West in a Division II sectional semifinal Feb. 25.

“Those are the moments you dream about,” Price said. “I worked on that shot a lot in the offseason, and it’s a little unorthodox. I had confidence, and my teammates did a great job of giving me the ball and I hit it.”

Bay (10-13) advances to a sectional final, where it will face No. 1 Cleveland Central Catholic on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.

“We’ve had an up-and-down season for the most part this year. However, our coaches have been telling us that every game has been getting us ready for the tournament,” Bay senior Jake Martin said.

“We didn’t have the best game tonight, but we still came out with the win and I’m proud of everyone.”

The Rockets jumped on Lutheran West (14-9) early and often in the first quarter. Bay was in a rhythm on offense and the Rockets were able to drive and kick, which helped them create open shots on the perimeter. Three different Rockets hit 3-pointers in the first quarter to help give them a 21-11 lead after one.

The Rockets kept their foot on the gas as their lead

swelled to 17 points (34-17) midway through the second quarter. Bay junior Cullen Gergye led the charge, as he scored six of his 18 points in the quarter. He also hauled in 11 rebounds on the night.

Momentum began to shift in Lutheran West’s favor toward the end of the second frame. The Longhorns closed out the half with a 9-1 run to pull within 10 points (36-26) at the half.

“They have eight seniors, so we knew they would make a run,” Bay coach Jared Shetzer said. “(Lutheran West senior) Jalen Barnes is a great player, they had shooters everywhere and we talked about that coming into the game.”

Lutheran West kept its surge going in the third quarter, and Barnes led the way. He dropped 14 of his gamehigh 37 points in the third. His efforts helped the Longhorns outscore Bay, 27-11, in the quarter to take a 53-47 lead heading into the fourth.

“He’s a really great player,” Martin said. “He’s shifty, and he’s quick.”

Lutheran West pushed its lead to seven in the fourth quarter before Bay battled back. Martin scored seven of his 13 points in the quarter to help the Rockets tie the game and force overtime.

It was the Price show in overtime, as he scored all seven of the Rockets’ points. The junior made a pair of

free throws, a layup and the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left to cap off his 22-point night.

Lutheran West had one last chance. However, the Longhorns came up short on a shot at the buzzer.

Another key contributor for Bay was Zak Crabb, who was a big force on the glass. The senior scored six points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Shetzer knows this is a good learning experience for his younger players.

“The problem for us tonight was that we have a lot of young players who haven’t played in this type of environment yet in the playoffs,” Shetzer said.