Poplar Bluff has been in this situation a few times this year. They were in this situation in the Poplar Bluff Showdown championship game last year.
And just before, a gritty group rallied for a close win.
The Mules trailed by four points with 1:25 left in the game and Memphis Central trying to kill the clock. Poplar Bluff only put Memphis on the line once late while forcing several turnovers to win 63-58 in the opening round of the 32nd Poplar Bluff Showdown.
"They're just a grimy, gritty team," Poplar Bluff coach William Durden said. "We've been in these situations earlier in the year and they found a way to win it. It wasn't anything we drew up, the guys just found a will to win."
Dominique Hardimon led the Mules with 34 points, including the go-ahead bucket late.
After Tyler Cline sank a corner 3 to cut the lead to one, the Mules pressed and forced a carry for a turnover as the clock passed the minute mark.
Hardimon caught a pass low and drove baseline, scoring through a foul for the three-point play, putting Poplar Bluff ahead 60-58.
Poplar Bluff stayed in the press and Memphis held the ball at the top of the key.
The clock passed 30 seconds when Tyler Byrd drove and tried for a stepback 3, but was called for traveling.
"We had to pick up the pressure. They kind of went into their stall offense and tried to spread us out," Durden said. "Our guys picked up on it and they got into them and started trapping and we got some good stuff out of it."
Carlton McDonald-Jordan, who was playing on a tweaked ankle, added a free throw in the bonus with 21 seconds left.
Down three, Memphis brought the ball past halfcourt as Poplar Bluff (7-1) applied heavy defense, forced a loose ball and Cline came up with the steal. Memphis forced a jump ball, which went to Poplar Bluff with 7 seconds to go.
It took the Mules three tries to get an inbounds pass, but when they did, it turned into an easy bucket for Hardimon just before the buzzer.
"I think it is preparing ourselves coming into this game. We knew it was going to be hard fought," McDonald-Jordan said. "We've been putting ourselves in these kinds of situations, down five with 3 minutes left, in practice. We've been doing these scenario type situations. I think it is preparation and I think it speaks for itself."
Poplar Bluff led by as much as seven, and that was late in the first half.
Memphis took its first lead of the game midway through the third quarter, which was the first of six lead changes.
"I think in the beginning of the game, offensively it looked like we hadn't played in 13 days, which we hadn't," Durden said. "Defensively I thought we played really well. In the third quarter, I felt like they scored every time they touched the ball and we didn't play as well, but that first half I thought we played really well."
Hardimon had 15 of Poplar Bluff's 23 points in the fourth quarter and scored 25 points in the second half.
"He played good. He attacked the basket well, he's our best rebounder, and he's just our hardest worker. When he goes the team goes," Durden said.
Cline had a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 12 points.
Xander Martin did not play and is day-to-day with an ankle injury.
Jhalen Hayes and Xavier Xavier Joubert each had 19 points to lead Memphis.
Hayes made four 3-pointers in the first half and five in all, but the Mules kept him scoreless in the fourth quarter.
"We're pretty good at keeping our composure and fighting through adversity," McDonald-Jordan said.
Joubert had 17 points in the second half but was absent during Poplar Bluff's rally. He fouled with 1:37 remaining after Hardimon grabbed a rebound and went coast-to-coast. Tyler Byrd added 12 points, nine of it in the fourth quarter.
Poplar Bluff will play Fayetteville in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday.
"They are one of the better teams, if not the best team in the tournament. They've already beat Jonesboro once. They looked really good that first game against Christian County. They've got bigs, they've got guards, and their best player didn't even play tonight," Durden said.
Fayetteville beat Christian County 74-34, led by Tamaury Releford, who scored 25 points. Senior Collin Cooper was inactive for the game.