The seniors on this year’s Portal basketball team have left a legacy of winning, posting a 94-19 record over four years.
Unfortunatly, for the third time in their careers they were unable to get past the Elite-8. Wednesday night at Warren County it looked like they may be able to break free into the Final Four, but in overtime a layup by the Screaming Devils' Cosa Pender at the buzzer ended the Panther season as they fell 76-74.
“I’m proud of the fight we showed tonight,” said Portal coach Jeff Brannen. “We were up and then we were down and we found a way to send the game into overtime. A 50/50 ball here or there, a rebound here or there it just seemed when we needed a break it would go their way. They got an opportunity for the last shot and they made the most of it.”
Before a packed gym, Portal actually led by 10 with six minutes remaining in the game. The Devils then went on a run with some tough 3-point shooting and were the beneficiary of some head scratching calls as they came back to take a three-point lead with just over 20 seconds to go in the game. Portal’s Joseph Thomas then knocked down a corner three with 16 seconds left.
On the ensuing inbounds play in appeared Portal was able to knock the ball off a Warren County player as the ball went out of bounds. After a quick discussion between the refs the ball was awarded to the Devils with just over six seconds left. Warren County was unable to get off a shot and the game went to overtime tied at 63-63.
In overtime Marion Tremble picked up where he left off in the second half as he scored 18 of his 22 points. Tremble hit a jumper to tie the game at 70-70 but Pender quickly raced by the Panther defense to score and put the Devils up 72-70. Pender then stole the inbounds pass and scored again to make it 74-70. Tremble answered to cut the lead to 74-72. Warren County missed a shot with 23 seconds left and it appeared the Panthers had the rebound but the ball went out of bounds and the Devils took over with the shot clock off and 22 seconds remaining.
Throwing the inbounds from under their own goal the Devils tossed the ball all the way across mid-court where Elijah Coleman showed off his athleticism making a leaping interception and raced in to tie the game with 16 seconds remaining in OT. The Devils then went back to Pender who drove past the Panther defense and scored as time expired, and the crowd poured onto the floor.
Thomas led the way for Portal with 28. Elijah 12 Tremble had 22 points and Elijah Coleman finished with 12 points. Pender finished with 28 points including eight in overtime. After the game Brannen reflected on what the four seniors have meant to him.
“They have been to the quarterfinals three times,” Brannen said. “Every time it has come down to the wire and a last second shot. These guys mean the world to me and they have been so tough to beat. We just couldn’t get over the hump in the Elite-8 and I hate that for them.”
