Unbelievable! Bernie nips Dexter at the buzzer to claim SCAA tournament title

Jerry Jarrell photo Bernie's Jake smith grabs teammate Jake Owens after Owens hit the game winner at the buzzer to defeat Dexter 47-46 in the SCAA championship game Wednesday night at Bloomfield.

BLOOMFIELD -- The smile was already on Jake Owens' face even before he fell to the court.

After somehow managing to get off a shot under the basket with Dexter defenders hanging all over him, Owens watched his desperation shot bounce around the rim and quietly drop in as he staggered backwards and fell to the floor with time expiring to give the Bernie Mules a 47-46 win over the Dexter Bearcats in the SCAA Championship game Wednesday night at Bloomfield.

"I was hoping it would go in, but if it didn't, I was hoping to draw a foul," Owens said, beaming with excitement. "You know, you just never quit, to just never quit because you never know what is going to happen."

And there was no quit in either team on this night.

The game was a struggle from the opening tip and Dexter appeared up to the challenge against the No. 1 seed when Jon Bowman's old fashion 3-point play put the Bearcats up 41-36 with 4:26 to play. Bernie chipped away at the lead, but the 'Cats still held the ball and a slim 43-42 lead with less than 90 seconds remaining. Dexter was trying to run the clock but Bowman found an open shot at the top of the circle, took it, but was just off the mark.

Bernie quickly pushed the ball up court where Jordan McGowan spotted up in the corner and drained a 3-pointer for a 45-43 Bernie lead with 33 seconds remaining. After a Dexter time-out, the Bearcats slowly worked the ball up court against Bernie's press before Brandon Stoker broke free down the right side, pulled up and knocked down a 3-pointer to push the 'Cats back on top 46-45 with 11 second remaining.

"We knew with 11 seconds left they still had plenty of time to come down and get a good one," Dexter coach Rob Nichols said after the game. "If I had to ask for a shot for them to take, other than a fall away three with the clock expiring, that's what I would ask for. Somebody falling down throwing one up with three guys in his face.

"We made a big shot there to get the lead, Bernie just came down and made a bigger one," Nichols continued. "Jake Owens threw that one up and it went it. He made a play like that last year (to beat Dexter at Bernie). He's kind of got a knack for making those big shots because he's sure done it a lot against us here the last few years."

It was the third time this season the Bearcats had tangled with the state-ranked Mules, and third time Bernie has pulled out close wins.

"It was a game of big shots right there at the end," Bernie coach Brad Botsch said. "McGowan hit a big three in the corner to put us back up, Stoker hits a big three down there and obviously Owens finishes it with a big finish with four guys hanging on him. I don't know how in the world he made the shot.

"And really, if you think back, he did the same thing last year," Botsch added. "The exact same thing. Right in the lane and he hit a shot at the buzzer. And every time it was Welch to Owens, Welch to Owens, Welch to Owens. He (Owens) hit a big shot at the sectional game for us to win that game at the buzzer. He's just Mister Clutch."

Bernie battled back from five down in the first quarter to just trail 12-10 going into the second. It was Dexter's turn to climb back in the game in the second as Stoker hit a big trey at the end to pull Dexter to within two, 25-23. Bernie scored the first four points in the third, but Dexter managed to tie the game at 32-all on two foul shots after Botsch was called for a bench technical, but Owens' basket with :48 seconds showing but the Mules up 34-32 heading into the final eight minutes of play.

Bernie will next be in action Friday as they travel to Cape Girardeau for a game against Notre Dame Regional High School. The Bearcats will host SCAA rival Advance at the Bearcat Event Center.