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The Berryville Bobcats aced a big early-season test on Saturday, Nov. 22, erasing a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Harrison Goblins 68-62 in the Bergman Hoopsgiving Classic.
“We just did some things that we’ve been doing, turnover-wise, that we’ve been able to get away with, and I was worried while it was going on against Harrison that it was going to get us, but our kids refocused,” Berryville coach Brent Compton, whose team improved to 4-0. “There’s no quit in ’em. That’s just not what they’re made of. They refocused and got things back together and played well to finish it out.”
Berryville outscored Harrison 24-17 over the final 4:31, including a 9-0 run in the span of 1:21 to turn a one-point deficit into an eight-point lead. Harrison cut that margin to two with 1:38 remaining, but Berryville converted 10 of 12 free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
After trailing by 11 points midway through the third quarter, Harrison chipped away at the deficit and finally took the lead at 45-44 on a pair of free throws with 5:44 left in the fourth quarter.
The Goblins didn’t hold the advantage for long, however. Berryville senior Peyton Smith made two free throws with 4:31 remaining to give the lead back to the Bobcats, then junior Carson McMellon dropped in a three-pointer scored in transition off a pass from classmate John Butler to put Berryville up 49-45 with 4:09 left. Butler scored from close range with 3:30 remaining, then passed to junior CT Hicks for another basket that extended the Bobcats’ lead to 53-45.
Butler scored or assisted on seven of Berryville’s nine points during the critical run.
“John has such good instincts,” Compton said. “Once he gets in the groove, he’s going to be hard to handle. He’s just really physical and has great instincts.”
After a Harrison basket, Smith made the first of two free throws with 2:45 left. The Goblins answered with another score before Butler’s driving basket made it 5649 with 2:21 left.
Harrison made three of four free throws and added a layup during a 5-0 run that cut Berryville’s lead to 56-54. Smith’s free throw at 1:33 nudged the Bobcats’ advantage back to three before a Harrison three-point attempt resulted in an airball.
Junior Jachin Houghton’s driving layup extended Berryville’s lead to five at 59-54, making it a two-possession game.
“He’s a tough kid,” Compton said of Houghton, whose brother Noah is a senior for the Bobcats. The oldest Houghton brother, Malachi, was a senior for Berryville last season. “He has to be, probably, being the third boy there. He’s a tough kid and we need him to come on. He did some good things for us.”
Harrison converted one of two free throws with 58.3 seconds left but, still trailing by two possessions, the Goblins were forced to foul down the stretch. Hicks made two free throws with 49.2 seconds left for a 61-55 Berryville lead. Harrison responded with a three-pointer that cut the difference in half at 61-58 but Hicks made two free throws with 26.5 seconds left and two more with 16.4 seconds remaining for a 65-58 cushion.
After a Harrison free throw with 11.5 seconds remaining, the Harrison bench was whistled for a technical foul. Hicks made one of two free throws after the technical then converted two more with 9.9 seconds left for a 68-59 lead.
Altogether, Berryville made 20 of 26 free throws — including nine of 10 in the final 49.2 seconds and 10 of 11 overall by Hicks and eight of 10 by Smith.
“We’ve been shooting 50 percent from the free-throw line,” Compton said. “We had to have guys stepping up there and knocking them down and that’s what we did. It was better than what we had been shooting and at the right time. The kids came to play, for sure.”
Harrison connected for a three-pointer in the closing seconds, but it was too little, too late as the Bobcats held on.
Hicks led the Bobcats with 20 points. Smith, who was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, scored 14 points and McMellon added 13.
The victory was Berryville’s third — all on the road — in a five-day stretch. The Bobcats won 59-50 at Lincoln on Tuesday, Nov. 18, then defeated Valley Springs 67-54 on the Tigers’ home floor on Thursday, Nov. 20.
Butler scored 12 points in the win over Lincoln. Senior Josh Ruiz had three three-pointers and scored 11 points, all in the first half, while Smith scored 10. Hicks scored 20 points at Valley Springs, with Smith adding 18.
Berryville played at Greenland on Monday, Nov. 24, before taking a few days off for Thanksgiving. The Bobcats will face Lifeway Christian at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, in the first round of the Duel at the Dome tournament at West Fork.
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