FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- Klay Barton has been known for his offense this season and why not. He was the leading scorer in the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament and scored a school-record 51 points in a game this season.
But with under a minute to go, he poked a dribble loose for a steal and a layup that was Doniphan's only field goal of the final four minutes of the game. It also put Doniphan in front and the Dons held on to beat Twin Rivers 49-45 in the MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 semifinals on Tuesday.
Jamie Robards opened the fourth quarter with a 3 for the Royals, putting them up by six and matching their biggest lead of the game.
It held for a couple minutes, then Jake Eddington sank a pair of free throws and a corner 3 to cut it to a point with five minutes remaining.
Twin Rivers (14-14), still up a point, burned more than two minutes off the clock with one possession before Zach Hargraves drove and missed a layup with just over two minutes remaining. The refs called a jump ball on the rebound, with Doniphan getting possession.
The Dons (11-16) got the ball to center Trent Lippoldt on the block, but he lost the dribble out of bounds.
The clock ticked past 50 seconds as Twin Rivers set up its offense, but this time, Barton reached behind and poked away the dribble for a layup the other way that put the Dons in front. It was the first points of any kind in more than three minutes.
"They were guarding well and it was physical. We weren't getting easy looks so we controlled the ball and dragged it out to get some layups. We would get in there every once in awhile and get some decent looks but they weren't falling," Twin Rivers coach Seth McBroom said. "We've played like that a lot this year and been pretty successful."
With 36 seconds left, Eddington made the front end of the one-and-one, putting Doniphan up by two, but the second attempt was cancelled because of a foul by the Dons. The Royals' Hayden Thomas missed the front end of his free throw at the other end, and fouled Jorden Leroux with 12 seconds left.
The senior made both free throws with 12 seconds left and was later sent back to the line with the Dons up by two and three seconds left.
Again he made both, this time sealing the win.
"If I lose it's the last game, might as well hit them," Leroux thought to himself at the foul line. "Senior year, don't miss them."
Leroux finished with 15 points and was 5 for 6 at the line in the game to lead Doniphan.
Barton had 12 while Eddington had 11 and was also tasked with guarding Twin Rivers' leading scorer in Thomas.
"Eddington, I can't brag on him enough. He did an excellent job on Thomas," Doniphan coach Mark Blackwell said.
Thomas got into foul trouble and spent much of a scoreless third quarter on the bench, but while he was out the Royals also went on an eight-point run. He finished with 11 points and had two points in the second half.
Robards led the Royals with 15 points, 12 of it in the second half.
Tuesday's matchup was the third time Twin Rivers and Doniphan had played this year, with the Royals winning the previous two.
Twin Rivers won the first matchup in early January 57-48, and then beat Doniphan 66-59 in the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament semifinals.
"We were definitely motivated and ready," Blackwell said. "We felt like if we face them we had a good chance."
The stage was set from the opening tip.
It was tied at 2, at 4, at 6. Doniphan made a 3, Twin Rivers came back with two of its own to finish the first quarter.
Those two 3s by the Royals, one by Woodard and one by Robards, gave them a five point lead at the buzzer, which turned out to be the biggest lead for either team in the first half.
The Dons came back with a 9-2 run over the first four minutes of the second half to take the lead.
Eddington sank an open 3 to tie the game at 16, and then Barton got a pick-pocket steal and a dunk to take the lead.
Lippoldt scored in the paint with 90 seconds left to put Doniphan ahead by four, its biggest lead of the first half. On the following possession, Thomas sank a spot up 3.
Doniphan tried to hold for the final shot but was called for traveling with 20 seconds left, and then the Royals missed a pair of shots at the buzzer and Doniphan went into the locker room with a 22-21 lead.
Allen Hendrix sank a 3 to tie the game at 24 and Robards followed with a bucket and a 3 to put Twin Rivers back in front by five.
It was an eight point run to start the second half for the Royals. Robards later sank a reverse layup to put Twin Rivers ahead by six with 90 seconds left in the third quarter.
With a minute to go, Lippoldt spun around a triple team for a shot and missed, but got the putback.
With 16 seconds left in the third, Barton sank a corner to cut Twin Rivers' lead to three points going into the fourth quarter.
Saxony Lutheran 71, Clearwater 43
The Crusaders had a 16 point lead at halftime and built it into a running clock in the fourth quarter.
Heath Ayers led Clearwater with 20 points, 14 of it in the second half.
Jalen Williams had 18 points for Saxony Lutheran after making four 3-pointers and Tommy Robinson had 14.