Big fourth quarter lifts BIC to regional finals

Buffalo Island Central Mustangs found themselves down six early in the fourth period before their offense stepped it up with a 16-0 run and their defense only allowed one point over the last five minutes as they advanced to the 2A North Regional finals with a 59-48 win over Augusta in Pangburn this past Friday.

Trey Depriest of BIC puts up a three-point attempt during 2A North Regional basketball action this past Friday in Pangburn.

Austin Pike got the Mustangs out to a 2-0 lead with a tip in to open the game. Augusta answered with a three-pointer to go up 3-2 before Alan Carmichael made a shot inside while being fouled. Carmichael's free throw was good to put BIC up 5-3.

Augusta tied the game only to see BIC get a three-pointer from Alex Ballin and an inside score from Carmichael to go up 10-5. Trey Depriest made it 13-7 Mustangs with a three-ball from the right wing before the Red Devils answered with a three to make it 13-10 with 3:08 left to play. Nick Bollinger's basket and another Depriest three-pointer made it 18-11 BIC. Augusta ended the quarter with back to back scores to cut the lead to 18-15.

Augusta scored the first seven points of the second quarter to go up 22-18. Carmichael hit two free throws for BIC before Seth Eatmon hit a three after an Augusta three to make the score 25-23 Red Devils with 3:22 left. Augusta scored inside before Pike hit four straight free throws followed by a basket inside followed by two more free throws to take a 31-27 lead to halftime.

BIC's Austin Pike drives in for a lay up during the Mustangs 2A North Regional game with Augusta. (Town Crier photos/Anthony Cossey)

Augusta cut the lead to 31-30 with a basket inside followed by a free throw. Bollinger scored inside for BIC, Augusta hit two free throws and Eatmon canned a three for the Mustangs to make the score 38-32 BIC. The Red Devils hit back to back three-pointers to take a 38-36 lead only to see Eatmon can another three for BIC to make it 39-38 Mustangs.

Augusts retook the lead at 41-39 with a three-pointer at the 2:10 mark. Jacob Sanders cut the lead to one with a free throw to make it 41-40 Red Devils. Augusta hit two free throws and Pike made one of two free throws to make it 43-41 Augusta at the end of three quarters of play.

Augusta stretched their led to 47-41 with back to back scores to start the fourth quarter. BIC responded with a 13-0 run to take a 54-47 lead. Eatmon started the run with a three-pointer from the left corner, Bollinger scored six straight with two free throws and back to back baskets and Pike scored back to back baskets for the Mustangs. Augusta hit a free throw before Carmichael scored inside, Bollinger hit one of two free shots and Eatmon made two free throws to make the final score 59-48 BIC.

"It was a hard fought game, they are all going to be like that the rest of the way," BIC head coach Bill Taylor said after the game. "Augusta is a very athletic team and we stood and just watched that athleticism some tonight. We finally got on the boards, got some second shots and got some stops on defense," Taylor added.

Pike led the Mustangs with 15 points on the night. Eatmon added 14 points and Bollinger netted 11 points.