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Hermleigh senior Kobe Roemisch (13) attempted a jump shot over Ira senior Karson Valentine during the Cardinals’ 60-54 overtime win over the Bulldogs Tuesday. Roemisch led all scorers with 23 points.
IRA — In a game of lead changes and crowd noise, the Hermleigh Cardinals got the best of their district rival Ira Bulldogs for the second time this season.
Hermleigh jumped out to an early 5-2 lead before Ira responded with a 3-pointer from sophomore Drew Porter and a fadeaway jumper from senior Karson Valentine.
Hermleigh senior Blake Hancock came away with a steal, drove the length of the court and completed a 3-point play to put the Cardinals ahead 8-7. Ira got back on top with a 3 from Valentine but Hermleigh junior Devin Hildebrand hit a buzzer-beater corner 3-pointer to put Hermleigh ahead 13-12 heading into the second quarter.
Ira got the first points of the second quarter on a Porter layup. Hermleigh junior Payton Rivera answered with his first 3-pointer.
The two teams went back and forth trying to take control of the game. Ira senior Matthew Brazil scored four points and senior Nathan Goodwin hit his first 3-pointer. Hermleigh managed to answer every Ira shot and stay ahead 24-23 going into the half.
In the third quarter, the Bulldogs outscored the Cardinals 10-3 over the first two minutes of the quarter. The Cardinals responded with a 12-0 run highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Hildebrand. A buzzer beating jumper from Porter tied the game at 36-36 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs grabbed the lead in the fourth quarter as Porter and Valentine put Ira up 40-38. They began to pull away with a 6-3 run and built a 46-41 lead, but Hildebrand got Hermleigh back in the game again as he hit a 3 to cut the lead to 46-44.
Hermleigh tied the game at 46-46 on a layup from senior Kobe Roemisch. Porter and Hildebrand then exchanged 3-pointers.
Hermleigh took a late lead on a Roemisch jumper and held a 51-49 lead with just 30 seconds left. A contested layup from Valentine as time expired tied the game at 51-51, sending it to overtime.
Hermleigh struck first in overtime. Sophomore Zane Nachlinger hit his first 3-pointer to put Hermleigh ahead 54-51. The Cardinals got four free throws on a pair of technical fouls against Ira and Roemisch went 3-4 to put Hermleigh ahead 57-51 with just over two minutes to go. The Bulldogs got three points from senior Brayden White but nothing more and the Cardinals held on to seal the 60-54 overtime victory.
The Cardinals are looking to secure a playoff spot and the runner-up spot in the District 13-1A standings heading into the final two games. First-year head coach Kia McCarty said his team earned the win.
“Anytime we can get a district win and I don’t mean get it, I mean earn it, we’ll take it,” he said. “Rival, non-rival, new to the district, it doesn’t matter. This league is solid from top to bottom and week in and week out you have to prepare and compete. We’ll take it every time.”
The Cardinals will be on the road at Highland at 8 p.m. Friday. The Bulldogs’ fate is still in question heading into their road game against Westbrook at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Hermleigh scorers: Kobe Roemisch, 23 points; Devin Hildebrand, 17 points; Zane Nachlinger, 7 points; Blake Hancock, 6 points; Payton Rivera, 5 points; Tyler Thompson, 2 points.
Ira scorers: Karson Valentine, 15 points; Drew Porter, 14 points; Nathan Goodwin, 12 points; Matthew Brazil, 8 points; Brayden White, 5 points.