Scott's Isaac Sester (22) is guarded by Logan's Derrick Browning (10) during the second half of the Skyhawks overtime win over the Wildcats in the Class AAA Region 4 Section 2 championship at Scott High School on March 3 (Photo by Boothe Davis/Captured by the Moment Photography).
Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports
MADISON Isaac Sester took a couple of victory laps around the Hawks Nest as his Scott teammates followed behind.
Meanwhile the Logan Wildcats walked off the floor in disbelief as the Scott Skyhawks celebrated.
It was just another Logan and Scott classic finish which resulted in heartbreak for the Wildcats as Sester hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to give eighth-ranked Scott a 62-59 win over fifth-ranked Logan in overtime of the Class AA Region 4 Section 2 championship on March 3.
It was the Wildcats second straight last second postseason loss to the Skyhawks. In last years Class AA quarterfinals, Reece Carden hit a jumper with just under two seconds in regulation to eliminate the Wildcats from the state tournament.
The sectional loss doesn’t end the Wildcats bid for a state tournament berth, but it did end Logan’s chance of hosting one of two Region 4 co-championships for a third consecutive year. Logan will travel to Ripley in one co-final while Scott hosts Nitro.
Logan (13-10) led by three, 59-56, with 25 seconds left in overtime after Scotty Browning made one of two free throws, but Owen Adkins tied it at 59 with a 3-pointer from the right corner with 10 seconds left.
Browning missed a 3 with four seconds remaining as Sester grabbed the rebound with just over two seconds to play, dribbled to half-court and launched a shot over the outstretched hand of a leaping Browning that left Logan stunned and sent Sester on a victory lap.
Sester posted a double-double finishing with 10 points and 10 assists to give the Skyhawks (15-9) their first sectional title in 12 years. Carden led Scott with 17 points, Jayden Sharps added 11 points and Adkins finished with 10.
Logan and Scott split a pair of regular season meetings this season. In their first meeting, Scott defeated Logan 68-59 at the Hawks Nest before the Wildcats won 59-55 at Willie Akers Arena on Feb. 3.
The rubber match was a game of runs.
The two schools exchanged the lead twice in the opening two minutes, the last of those lead changes came with 5:59 remaining as Aiden Slack scored on the inside to give the Wildcats a 6-5 lead.
The Skyhawks responded with a 12-2 run to take a 17-8 lead with 3:07 to play following a pair of Carden free throws. Scott led 19-11 after one quarter and 27-17 at halftime.
Carden’s basket with 4:50 to play in the third quarter gave Scott a 12-point advantage, 34-22.
Logan went on an 8-2 run getting a pair of 3’s from Cole Blankenship and a jumper from Browning to trim the deficit to six, 36-30, with 2:19 to play in the third.
Scott closed the quarter on a 5-1 mini run and led 41-31 after Seter’s top of the key 3 to beat the third quarter buzzer.
The lead reached 13 points, 44-31, on Sharps’ 3 from the left wing with 7:04 to play in the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats wouldn’t back down and went on 13-5 run to draw within five, 49-44, on Browning’s with 3:33 remaining.
Sharps scored with 3:20 remaining to put Scott on top 51-44 before Browning was fouled after draining a 3 from the right wing. Browning made the free throw to cut the deficit to 51-48 with 3:11 to play.
The Wildcats drew to within one, 51-50, following a pair of Slack free throws with 2:55 to play.
Scott led 54-52 with 46 seconds to play after a free throw from Carden, but a Browning floater tied it at 54 with 26 seconds remaining.
Scott turned it over with seven seconds remaining, but Browning’s 3 drew the back iron sending the game to overtime.
In the extra frame, Scott struck first getting a basket from Kadin Clemons to take a 56-54 lead with 3:24 to play before Logan responded with a 5-0 run.
Derrick Browning’s only field goal of the evening tied it at 56 with 3:07 to play. Slack knocked down a pair of free throws with 41 seconds to play to give Logan it’s first lead, 58-56, since early in the first quarter.
Scotty Browning led Logan and all scorers with 20 points. Blankenship finished with 11 while Julius Clancy had a double-double finishing with 10 points and 13 rebounds and Slack scored 10 for the Wildcats.
Logan made 20 of its 58 field attempts, was 6 of 19 from 3 and 13 of 18 from the foul line. The Wildcats outrebounded the Skyhawks 39-25 but committed 18 turnovers.
Scott made 24 of 49 shots, was 7 of 19 from 3 and 7 of 15 from the charity stripe.
Scott 62, Logan 59 (OT)
Logan (13-10)
Clancy 4-13 1-1 10, Browning, S. 7-19 3-5 20, Blankenship 3-8 3-4 11, Glick 0-1 0-0 0, Browning, D. 1-3 0-0 2, Slack 3-5 4-6 10, Ilderton 0-4 0-0 0, Miller 2-5 2-2 6.
Totals: 20-58 13-18 59.
Scott (15-9)
Walls 0-4 0-0 0, Sharps 4-8 0-0 11, Byrnside 3-5 1-1 7, Carden 6-12 5-7 17, Setser 4-10 0-1 10, Adkins 4-6 0-1 10, Clemons 3-4 1-4 7. Totals: 24-49 7-15 62.
Logan 11 6 14 23 5- 59
Scott 19 8 14 13 8- 62
3-point field goals_Logan 6-19 (Clancy 1-2, Browning, S. 3-9, Blankenship 2-6, Browning, D. 0-2), Scott 7-19 (Walls 0-4, Sharps 3-7, Carden 0-2, Setser 2-3, Adkins 2-3). Fouled out_Sharps. Rebounds_ Logan 39 (Clancy 13), Scott 25 (Clemons 7). Assists_Logan 6 (Browning, S. 2), Scott 15 (Setser 10). Total Fouls_Logan 14, Scott 16. Technicals_None.