Baylors Thomas Collects 24

HUTCHINSON, Kan. -- The unfortunate thing about consolation games at the NJCAA Tournament is that somebody has to lose and go home, but Lon Morris College (TX) and Moberly (MO) Area C.C. gave the fans at the Sports Arena a delicious treat on Thursday night before one team ultimately swallowed a bitter pill.

Moberly got a huge pair of free throws from freshman point guard Nate Johnson with 3.6 seconds left in double overtime as the Greyhounds upended the Bearcats, 105-101.

Johnson's free throws gave Moberly the insurance it needed to finally put away Lon Morris, earning the Hounds a slot in Saturday afternoon's fifth place game at Hutch.

With the Bearcats leading 96-94, Moberly's Antonio Burks gave the Greyhounds a 97-96 lead by hitting a three pointer with 2:05 to play.

Not to be outdone, Baylor bound Terrance Thomas quickly responded with a 12 foot baseline jumper to give Lon Morris a 98-97 lead with 1:57 remaining. Thomas was also fouled on the play, and his free throw gave the Bearcats a 99-97 lead.

Over the next 32 seconds, Johnson and teammate Derek Wiley earned trips to the charity stripe for the Greyhounds. They each hit one of two from the line to deadlock the game at 99.

Each team then proceeded to miss a three pointer on its next possession. Impressive freshman swingman Aaron Curtis missed fro beyond the arc for Lon Morris, while ace Moberly marksman Bobby Ewing misfired.

Following a miss by LMC's Thomas, Hound forward Terrance Chapman was hacked and he calmly sank a pair of free throws to give Moberly the lead for good at 101-99.

Another miss by Thomas on the other end resulted in the Bobcats fouling Johnson, who sank one of two with 21.5 seconds to play at the Greyhound boosted the lead to three points. A lazy pass by LMC's Luke Mackay was picked off by Johnson and he was again fouled with 11.6 seconds to play. Once again, he hit one of two to push the lead to four.

Mackay countered with a quick coast to coast drive that sliced the Lon Morris deficit to two points with 5.9 seconds to play, but Johnson's pair moments later sank the Bearcats' chances for victory.

In a game that featured terrific fan support for each school and a few controversial officiating calls, it was ultimately the players who decided the game on the court.

Moberly appeared to have the game in hand in both regulation and the first overtime, but never could deliver the knockout punch until the second extra session.

Moberly led 74-69 with 1:59 to play in regulation following a basket by Wiley, but a 6-1 run, capped by a scintillating follow slam by Lon Morris point guard Edgar Moreno with 5.2 seconds to play, sent the game into overtime.

In the first overtime, Moberly grabbed an 85-81 lead on a midrange jumper by Burks with 1:14 remaining. The Bearcats ended the game on a 6-2 surge, capped by an improbable three pointer by Curtis at the buzzer, to send the game into double overtime.

Wiley led all scorers with 32 points and also contributed seven rebounds for the Hounds. Johnson, whose three point shooting midway in the second half helped Moberly open up a 15 point lead, finished with 22 points (including the two clinching free throws).

Burks, a slow and unimpressive looking physical specimen, let his shot do the talking. The 6-5 shooting guard from Texarkana, Ark., canned four of eight three pointers and seven of 13 overall from the floor on the way to 19 points. Chapman (14 points) and Ewing (12 points) rounded out the Hounds' double figure scorers.

Curtis, Lon Morris' 6-4 freshman jumping jack, finished with 28 points and eight boards. Thomas, who struggled from the field (9/23) for the third straight game, collected 24 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in his final JUCO game before heading to Baylor next fall.

Moreno, who sent the game into the first overtime with an impressive follow slam, ended the game with 14 points and six assists. Freshman big man Diego Romero (13 points/7 rebounds) and sophomore guard/swingman B.J. Banks (13/8), rounded out the Bearcats' offensive arsenal.

Moberly will get the winner of Friday's consolation round game between Itawamba and Southern Union in Saturday's fifth place tilt.