When you put two conference rivals on the same basketball court, exciting things are bound to happen.
With Kaysinger Conference bragging rights on the line, the boys matchup between Tipton and Lincoln lived up to the hype. Unfortunately for the host Cardinals, it was the Lincoln Cardinals who left with a thrilling 69-68 overtime victory on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
Trailing by three late in regulation, Tipton sophomore Jimmie Upton nailed a clutch 3-pointer to tie the score at 61-61. Lincoln junior Lane Johnson was the hero in overtime, making the game-winning layup with 3 seconds left.
"It was a good game for the fans and our kids never quit battling," Tipton head coach Billy Jeffries said. "Lincoln is a young team, but they're scrappy and athletic. They do all the things necessary to win games."
Facing a 52-45 deficit with 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Tipton rallied to force overtime. Senior Dylan Cooper's jumper gave the host Cardinals a 58-57 lead with 1:02 left, but Lincoln answered with the next four points to regain a 61-58 edge.
With 12 seconds left in regulation, Cooper drove to the basket and found a wide open Upton in the corner. The sophomore proceeded to hit the game-tying shot, leaving the visiting Cardinals stunned.
"Jimmie knocked down the shot," Jeffries said. "He's still learning a lot, but gives us an opportunity to score from beyond the arc."
In overtime, Tipton opened a 68-64 lead with 1:40 left, but Lincoln answered with a 3-pointer to close the gap to one. Tipton missed four free throws down the stretch, giving the visiting Cardinals hope. With time winding down, Johnson raced down the court and made the winning layup.
"When you get kids going and they have good spacing, your opportunities can't get much better," Lincoln head coach Tyler Burke said. "We're excited to get the win and felt like we had some things to prove."
Tipton missed a chance to put the game away in overtime with missed free throws.
"We've struggled with free throws all year," Jeffries said. "We were 1-of-8 in the first half, 13-of-28 overall. You make two or three of those, you win the game."
Tipton junior guard Ryan Wood finished with 14 points, while junior forward Bryce Sanders and senior guard Logan Hirst each scored 12. Cooper added 11 points.
Following the loss, Tipton's record was 9-7 overall and 3-4 in the conference. Lincoln improved to 10-7 and 4-3.