By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Three-point goals fueled Walton-Verona’s comeback in Friday’s home game against Simon Kenton and the last trey saved the day for the Bearcats.
Junior guard Garrett Jones swished a 3-point shot from the right baseline as time expired to give Walton-Verona a 65-62 victory in the district seeding game that attracted a capacity crowd despite the frigid weather.
After Jones hit the shot, Walton-Verona fans stormed the court to celebrate the victory that extended their home court winning streak to 18 games over the last three seasons.
“I’d shot one before, but I missed it. I even air-balled it,” Jones said after his game-winning buzzer-beater. “It was unbelievable, awesome and crazy. That’s the best way to beat SK, especially here.”
Walton-Verona (11-4) was playing without 6-foot-7 junior center Dionte Miles, who re-injured his left shoulder during a practice session on Wednesday.
That’s one of the reasons the home team trailed, 22-9, after the first quarter. But the Bearcats outscored Simon Kenton (9-4) in each of the last three quarters and ended up getting 36 of their 65 points on 3-point goals.
“It was a good win,” said Walton-Verona coach Grant Brannen. “It was ugly. We didn’t play real well and got caught early, that’s for sure.”
After Simon Kenton took it’s biggest lead, 28-13, early in the second quarter, Walton-Verona scored 15 straight points to tie the score. During that run, senior point guard Brennan Stanley hit a pair of 3-point shots and scored eight of his 19 points for the Bearcats.
But Simon Kenton closed the first half with a run of its own and went into the locker room with a 41-33 lead. At the break, the Pioneers were shooting 72 percent (18 of 25) from the field compared to the Bearcats’ 41 percent (12 of 29).
The score was tied, 51-51, at the end of the third quarter. Walton-Verona senior forward Zach Clinkenbeard hit a pair of treys and scored 10 of his game-high 24 points during that period. He got four points off steals that he made at the other end of the court.
“Zach Clinkenbeard’s will to win was just phenomenal,” coach Brannen said. “I really thought he took over in the second half.”
In the fourth quarter, Simon Kenton senior forward Chaz Kitchens scored eight of his 22 points, including a basket that put his team ahead, 62-61, with 1:14 remaining on the clock.
With 51 seconds left, Stanley was fouled driving to the basket and made the first free throw to tie the score. He missed the second foul shot, but the Bearcats recovered the ball on the rebound. They ran the clock down to 12 seconds before coach Brannen called a time out to set up a play.
Simon Kenton was called for a foul after the inbound pass, but Walton-Verona wasn’t in the bonus. On the ensuing play, Stanley drove toward the basket and kicked the ball over to Jones for his game-winning 3-point shot.
“We’ve just got a little bit of toughness in us and we fight,” Clinkenbeard said of the victory. “We’ll fight until we can’t fight no more.”
Simon Kenton ended up shooting 58.6 percent (27 of 46) from the field, making 5 of 12 from 3-point range. Kitchens scored 18 of his 22 points in the paint for the Pioneers and finished with a team-high seven rebounds.
Walton-Verona shot 41.5 percent (22 of 53) overall and went 12-of-27 from behind the arc. Stanley got five of his six baskets from long distance. Clinkenbeard made four treys to account for 12 of his 24 points. He also had five rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block.
The Bearcats’ leading rebounder was junior forward Kameron Pardee with seven. He moved into the starting lineup to replace Miles, who will have surgery to repair his shoulder and sit out the rest of the season.
“We just have to go on without (Miles), and these guys know it,” coach Brannen said. “We won’t use that as an excuse. We’ll just keep on going.”
SIMON KENTON 22 19 10 11 — 62
WALTON-VERONA 9 24 18 14 — 65
SIMON KENTON (9-4): Niece 6 0 13, Robinson 3 0 6, Hensley 3 0 8, Kelch 3 1 16, Davis 2 0 6, Kitchens 10 2 22. Totals: 27 3 62.
WALTON-VERONA (11-4): Clinkenbeard 9 2 24, Jones 3 3 11, Stanley 6 2 19, Lay 0 1 1, Shazier 1 1 4, Grubbs 1 0 2, Pardee 2 0 4. Totals: 22 9 65.
3-point goals: SK — Hensley 2, Davis 2, Niece. WV — Stanley 5, Clinkenbeard 4, Jones 2, Shazier.