Cyclones avenge last-second loss

Harlan turned the tables on Creston’s boys basketball team Friday night with a buzzer-beating shot after trailing much of the game.

Sophomore Kobe Klaassen’s 3-pointer from the right wing swished through the net at the final buzzer to give Harlan a come-from-behind 60-58 victory over the Panthers. The Cyclones had 2.1 seconds to work with on an inbounds play when Klaassen received the pass for the winning shot.

Creston had led 54-46 with four minutes to play and 58-54 with 23 seconds left before Harlan’s 6-0 run in the final seconds that included three free throws before Klaassen’s winning shot.

The teams traded last-second victory celebrations in a 15-day span. On Jan. 3 in Harlan, Creston trailed 37-27 entering the fourth quarter and won 48-46 on Brayden Schoon’s basket from an inbounds play with 1.7 seconds left.

Retiring Harlan coach Mitch Osborn, who’s had his share of wild, down-to-the wire finishes in the Creston gym during his career with the Cyclones, exhaled and shook his head as he reacted to the dramatic win.

“At our place we controlled most of the game and you guys kind of stole it at the end,” Osborn said. “Tonight was the opposite. We stole one. But we’ll take it. We’ve played so many games this year within one possession. This is a good one for our guys.”

When Jake Hoyt made two free throws with 23.9 seconds left, Creston held a 58-54 advantage. Harlan 6-3 center Jozef Reisz was fouled and made the first free throw. Teammate Ben Leinen was fouled in a scramble for the rebound at :06.7.

Leinen made two free throws to cut Creston’s lead to 58-57. Creston’s inbounds pass was tipped by Harlan and the Cyclones gained possession on the alternate possession after a tie-up in the scramble.

With 2.1 seconds left, Osborn called timeout to set up the inbounds play. Klaassen caught the inbounds pass on the right wing and sank his fourth 3-pointer of the game for the win.

“We got the look we wanted,” Osborn said. “Kobe was shooting the ball well tonight.”

Creston coach Bryce Shafer said an important win got away down the stretch. He cited Harlan’s offensive rebound off Reisz’s missed free throw when it was 58-55 proved critical to the Cyclones’ late rally.

“We didn’t secure a rebound on a free throw and they said we fouled,” Schafer said. “We played well most of the game. It was just securing a rebound. I thought we did a nice job of limiting our turnovers until right at the end. On our last inbounds the whole point was to get it as deep as possible with very little time left, but they got a hand on the pass.”

Creston fell to 11-9 for the season with one regular season game remaining at Maryville, Missouri on Tuesday. Harlan improved to 8-12.

Going into the game, Schafer harbored hopes of the Panthers improving their status for a substate top-four position and opportunity to host a postseason game for the first time since 2013.

“I think this probably kicked us out the top four,” Schafer said. “At 12-8 were in that 4-5 range and a good shot at a four seed. At 11-9 it’s probably a five (and road game).”

Hoyt led three Panthers in double figures with 22 points and eight rebounds. Two sophomores were the next-highest scorers in the game. Rhett Driskell scored 10 points and Tanner Ray came off the bench to provide a hot 3-point shooting stretch in the first half. Ray sank four 3-pointers in the second quarter and had a team-high 14 points at halftime.

“Tanner really shot the ball well,” Schafer said. “I probably should have had him in there later in the game, but I was trying to get length on the floor to get boards against Jozef.”

Creston’s inside presence was affected by the absence of Brayden Schoon, a 6-3 football lineman who matched up best with Reisz, an all-state defensive end. Schoon did not re-enter the game after leaving for health reasons in the first half.

“Brayden had Influenza A earlier so it might have been a respiratory issue,” Schafer said. “He was hyperventilating. He was with the trainer and he wasn’t able to go.”

Creston learned of its postseason matchup on Monday. Opening night is Monday, Feb. 24 in Class 3A. The sixth-seeded Panthers open against No. 3 seed Bondurant-Farrar. the winner faces seventh-seed Carlisle or second-seed Des Moines Christian. Ballard is the No. 1 seed.

CRESTON (58) — Totals — (FG FT PTS) 22 3-6 58. Jake Hoyt 8 3-4 22, Tanner Ray 5 0-0 14, Rhett Driskell 4 0-0 10, Parker Varner 2 0-0 6, Tommy Sand 2 0-0 4, Josh Schaefer 1 0-0 2. 3-point goals — 11 (Ray 4, Hoyt 3, Varner 2, Driskell 2). Team fouls — 15. Fouled out — None.

HARLAN (60) — Totals (FG FT PTS) — 22 9-16 60. Jozef Reisz 7 1-6 15, Ben Leinen 5 3-4 15, Dallas McDowell 4 3-4 13, Kobe Klaassen 4 0-0 12, Colton Schneider 1 0-0 3, Weston Reisz 1 0-0 2. 3-point goals — 7 (Klaassen 4, McDowell 2, Schneider 1). Team fouls — 12. Fouled out — None.