Bergman ends Rivercrest’s postseason run

By DAVID PIERCE

Osceola Times

LAMAR – The Rivercrest Colts improbable run to a 3A State Championship game appearance was halted Saturday as they fell to the Bergman Panthers, 74-56.

Guard Kolby Turner puts up a shot

Rivercrest, winners of 12 of its 29 games, seem unfazed early by the 37-win Panthers.

The Colts, starting three freshmen and a sophomore, picked apart the Panthers 2-3 zone with crisp passes to the paint. The team had nine assists on nine made baskets in the first period. All but two of their 18 first quarter points came within two feet of the rim.

Ninth grader Buddha Harris scored 12 of those with sophomore Cavonta Washington adding the remaining six points.

While RHS shot a sizzling 75 percent in the opening period, Bergman (38-5) was 5-of-14 from the field for 35 percent shooting. That included a one-of-seven performance from three-point range.

The Colts Harris also held Panther senior point guard Walker Patton scoreless in the frame as four-seed Rivercrest was up 18-13 after the first eight minutes of play.

However, Bergman, the three seed from Region 1, improved its shooting percentage in the second quarter, posting an 8-of-11 mark in the frame.

That allowed the Panthers to forge ahead late in the quarter when Bryson Bauer drove to the hoop for a deuce. His basket gave BHS a 30-29 lead heading to the locker room.

Bergman used a 5-0 run in the final 2:04 to overtake Rivercrest.

Turnovers loomed large in the third quarter as the Colts, who only had three turnovers through two quarters, had six in the period. That included four straight possessions in the last 2:48 of the frame. Rivercrest, trailing 43-40 at the time, didn’t score a point over that stretch while Bergman put five on the board. Three came on a trey from Dylan Friend and Kaden Ponder sank two free throws to account for the scoring.

The Panthers also made four three-pointers in the quarter which aided in building the one-point halftime lead to eight (48-40) at the end of three quarters.

Rivercrest, scoreless for a 4:17 stretch over the third and fourth periods, finally broke the string when ninth grader Jayden Young forced his way to the hoop for two.

The Colts trailed 52-42 at that stage and came no closer than that the rest of the way.

Young finished his brief eight-game high school season with a team-high 21 points – 18 in the second half. All in all, he averaged 21 points per game in district, regional and state tournament play – scoring at least 20 in six of those games.

The point guard also had five steals, four assists and three rebounds during the semifinal contest.

Harris finished with 18 points and three rebounds, while Washington chipped in 10.

The squad’s only senior Tayshaun Love finished his high school career with six points and 10 rebounds – five on the offensive glass. Junior Koby Turner scored just two points but dished out six assists.

Rivercrest finished 24-of-53 (45 percent) from the field.

Bergman advances to play Manila (30-5) for the 3A State Title scheduled for 7:45 p.m. March 11 in Hot Springs.

Bauer paced the Panthers with 21 points with Patton, Ponder and Friend reaching double figures as well with 17, 15 and 10 points, respectively. Ponder, a 6-4 junior, also had nine rebounds. Patton contributed three assists, three rebounds, and two steals.

Bergman, winners of 25 of its last 26 games, shot 55 percent from the field and that included a 60 percent mark in the second half. In fact, after the first period, the Panthers were 63 from the field outscoring Rivercrest, 61-38, over the final three quarters of play.

Coach Hunter Robinson’s Colt program will be among the early 3A favorites heading into next season with all but Love returning. That roster includes Turner, Washington,

Young, Harris and Robinson who accounted for 50 of the team’s 56 points. Of that total, 38 was scored by ninth graders Young, Harris and Robinson.