Cape Central missed just enough free throws to make the ending interesting, but the Tigers were able to hold off a hard-charging Poplar Bluff Mules team Friday night.
Over the final four minutes, the host Mules had the ball down a point multiple times after trailing by as much as 13 in the second half.
Each time, however, the Mules came up empty as Cape Central got a lift from some underclassmen to win 58-55 at the Senior High Gym.
“We’re throwing some new guys out there because we got some injuries but you know, they fought,” Central coach Drew Church said.
“We bent but we didn’t break so I’m proud of them.”
Central sophomore Nate Meadors scored with 68 seconds left off a post pass from Cameron Williams to put the Tigers up three.
Poplar Bluff missed a 3 for the tie and a putback was partially blocked. Central’s Matayo Rivers was sent to the foul line with 43 seconds left and the freshman sank both shots. Jon Brandtner sank both of his free throws with 12 seconds to go to push the margin back to five.
The Tigers (13-3, 4-0 SEMO) missed seven free throws in the fourth quarter, four in the final 90 seconds.
The Mules (12-5, 1-2) couldn’t get off a last-second shot after the final two misses with 2.7 seconds left.
“Our kids fought and played hard,” Mules coach William Durden said. “We could have given up down whatever. The kids battled back — couldn’t finish it.”
Williams scored a game-high 22 points, sinking 12 of 16 of his foul shots, while Brandtner added 16 points and eight rebounds. Maurice Boyd added seven points before fouling out.
The Tigers were 19 of 28 at the foul line.
“You got to do that, especially in tight games like that, they are important,” Church said of his team’s free-throw performance.
Gage Rivers led the Mules with 17 points with all but two coming in the second half. Darius Graham added 14 points, Gavin Rivers scored 12 with a team-high nine rebounds. Nic Brumitt scored all of his five points in the fourth quarter while Kannon Carr added four points.
“We didn’t execute at the end of the game,” Durden said. “It’s as simple as that.”
After trailing 42-35 to start the fourth and by nine with 5:25 remaining, Poplar Bluff missed two free throws with a chance to take the lead midway through the final quarter.
Carr’s free throws with 2 1/2 to go and two more from Gage Rivers half a minute later also made it a one-point game.
With just over a minute left, Poplar Bluff had the ball down one but came up empty once again.
“We should have executed more and took the right shot at the end and it’s a different ballgame,” Durden said.
The Tigers were able to build a lead just before halftime as Poplar Bluff went the final 4:18 of the second quarter without scoring.
Gage Rivers, who scored 33 and 32 points in two of Poplar Bluff’s last three games since losing senior point guard Darian Webb to an injury, picked up two fouls late in the opening quarter and had two points at halftime.
“He’s so hard to stop going downhill,” Church said of Rivers. “He’s tough because you don’t want to foul him because he’s a good free-throw shooter.”
The Tigers were without 6-5 senior Cameron Harris, who was out with a concussion.
Central beat the Mules 62-45 on Dec. 6 in the SEMO Conference Tournament at Sikeston when Williams scored 31 and the Tigers dominated the boards.
This time, the Mules finished with more rebounds but shot 37% from the field with one 3-pointer and a 20 of 25 performance at the foul line.
“I felt like our kids held their ground and did the job,” Durden said.
There were five lead changes and three ties early on with Poplar Bluff taking a 12-11 lead into the second quarter and leading 17-16 after Gavin Rivers scored off a pass on a break.
Williams got a three-point play to retake the lead and Max Vogel picked off an inbound pass leading to a layin by Matayo Rivers. Clayton McClard sank a 3-pointer off a pass from Rivers and in less than two minutes the Tigers were up 24-17.
That was the score at the half before Central scored the first five points of the third quarter. Williams put the Tigers up 32-19 with a three-point play with 6:38 left in the third.
Poplar Bluff didn’t get a shot to fall from the field until the 4:26 mark of the third but was only down nine.
“We got to be better,” Durden said. “We got to execute better.”
The Mules started to rally over the final two minutes of the third but still found themselves down 42-35 at the start of the fourth after a corner 3-pointer by Brandtner
Central rebuilt its lead to nine with 5:25 left but the Mules scored nine straight. Gage Rivers hit a shot off a pass from Brumitt before Brumitt splashed in a 3 off a pass from Mar’Lon Hickman-Roberson that cut the deficit to 48-47.
“We knew they would (rally),” Church said. “They’re relentless. They play so hard.”
Central hosts Mehlville on Monday and Hillsboro the following day.
The Tigers and Charleston, which played at Sikeston, came into Friday night as the only unbeaten teams left in SEMO Conference play with Poplar Bluff one of four one-loss teams.
On Tuesday, the Mules host New Madrid County Central, 2-1 in SEMO play and ranked fourth in the latest Class 4 state coaches poll, before playing Friday at Sikeston.
Poplar Bluff’s final home game of the season against Park Hills Central has been moved up a day to Feb. 24 to give the Mules a day of practice before the start of the MSHSAA Class 6 District 1 tournament, which will start Feb. 26 at SLUH in St. Louis.