By Bob Hamar
bob.hamar@theindependent.com

Five of Gibbon's players including Josh Reinertson and Jordan Reinertson were on last year's state championship golf team. A loss Tuesday and they could have started to get ready to defend that title immediately.

But the links will have to wait at least two more days. Josh Reinertson scored 18 points including 16 in the second half and Jordan Reinertson added 14 to lead Gibbon to a 50-46 overtime victory over No. 3 Grand Island Central Catholic in the Class C-2, Subdistrict 9 semifinals Tuesday night at Kearney High School.

Josh Reinertson had six points in the overtime, including a perfect 4 for 4 performance from the line.

"He's a pretty competitive kid," Gibbon coach Paul Reinertson said. "I could tell at the timeouts. He was like, 'Give me the ball.' But it was a team effort. I thought Anthony Benge did a terrific job on (Sam) Bolton. He's a nice player and I thought Anthony really did a nice job on him.

"Our big guy Bryce Cudaback had a nice game too."

The Buffaloes (14-7) put the Crusaders (15-7) in a position this year they haven't been in too many times.

"We had to do some things we don't normally do," GICC coach Bill Gavers said. "We got up in full-court and denied man. We played a little diamond trap. We played some 1-3-1 trap. We were just trying to get possessions because we were behind. We haven't had to do that all year."

They had to do those things because Gibbon built a nine-point lead with 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter. The Crusaders got back into it in a hurry when Spencer Fahey hit a long 3-pointer, then Jake O'Connor added another 30 seconds later.

O'Connor was fouled on the shot and sank the free throw to pull GICC to within 39-37 with 3:13 left in the fourth quarter.

"They hit two big threes there," Paul Reinertson said. "We fouled on one of them and that hurt. We never thought we had it, but a nine-point lead was looking pretty comfortable. The next thing you know they had it almost tied up again."

Gavers said the Crusaders showed a lot of resiliency to get back into the game.

"We were having some difficulty on both ends of the floor," Gavers said. "But we kept plugging away."

GICC had a chance to win in regulation after Fahey, who led all scorers with 27 points, hit a 16-footer to tie the game at 40 with 1:10 left in regulation.

Central Catholic got the ball back when Fahey stole an inbounds pass with 40 seconds left. The Crusaders ran the clock down to the final seconds and had a chance to win, but Fahey's spinning shot in the lane bounced off the rim and O'Connor's rebound attempt was off the mark as the clock ran out.

Fahey tied the game at 46 in overtime with two free throws with 1:02 left, but Josh Reinertson hit a base line jumper with 45 seconds remaining to give the Buffaloes the lead for good.

"I really thought our kids played with a lot of heart," Paul Reinertson said. "We didn't want to get outworked by GICC and I thought our kids matched their effort. There were a lot of good plays on both team's part.

"Spencer had a terrific game, but our guys stepped up and made some big plays."

Gavers said the Crusaders still have a shot at a wild card bid, but things will have to break their way.

"There's a lot of bubbles," Gavers said. "There's too much to really figure out. We're hopeful. I hope this group gets the opportunity because they're deserving. They've done things the right way.

"We have a group of seniors who have done it the right way for four years for this one year. We have seniors who played three years of jayvee. I feel awful for them. Maybe something will break our way."

GIBBON 50, GRAND ISLAND CC 46, OT

GRAND ISLAND CC (15-7)

S. Fahey 9-26 6-6 28, Buck 0-0 0-0 0, O'Connor 2-8 3-3 8, Bolton 1-6 0-0 2, Wagoner 2-4 1-2 5, T. Fahey 1-4 1-1 3, Wiens 0-2 0-0 0, Howard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-51 11-12 46.

GIBBON (14-7)

Yockey 2-4 1-2 5, Josh Reinertson 5-11 8-9 18, Benge 2-4 1-2 6, Jordan Reinertson 6-8 2-4 14, Cudaback 2-4 1-4 7, Rivera 0-0 0-0 0, Wadkins-Meyer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-31 13-21 50.

Grand Island CC 12 6 8 14 6 46

Gibbon 12 7 13 8 10 50

3-Point goals GICC 5-23 (S. Fahey 4-14, O'Connor 1-4, T. Fahey Wiens 0-2, T. Fahey 0-3). Gibbon 1-1 (Benge 1-1). Fouled out None. Rebounds GICC 23 (Wagoner 7). Gibbon 30 (Benge 7). GICC 23. Turnovers GICC 6, Gibbon 18. Total fouls GICC 21, Gibbon 13. Technicals None.

Ravenna 76, Blue Hill 50

No. 1-ranked Ravenna wasn't shy about throwing up the 3-pionters in its semifinal game against Blue Hill.

The Bluejays came out firing early and never let up as they raced to a 76-50 victory. In the process, the Bluejays made 15 of 35 3-pointers.

"That's one of our deals," Ravenna coach Paul Beranek said. "If somebody says we live by the 3 and die by the 3, they're absolutely right because if we're making them we're pretty doggone good but we're going to shoot them. We have to. That's part of our game and that's what we practice. Eight of them have the green light in transition. Some of them have a little bit more green than others, but that's just what we do."

Jordan Chizek came off the bench to lead the 3-point assault. Chizek made 5 of 9 from long range, including a couple from about 25 feet, and finished with 15 points.

Eric Johnson and Aaron Habe each hit three 3-pointers while Greg Nissen, who led the Bluejays with 16 points had two.

Beranek said he likes to see his team at 33 percent or better from long range.

"We like 33 or above because that translates in 50 percent on the floor," Beranek said. "Our guys have been consistently around the 40s as a team and we're pretty happy with that. I guess anybody would be happy with that."

The Bluejays got off to a fast start with 16 points in the first 4:25 of play. The Bobcats (12-11) fought back somewhat from that deficit but never really got back into it.

"When we get off to good starts it seems like good things happen," Beranek said. "I wish I could bottle it up and sprinkle some magic potion around and say, 'Let's get off to a good start every time."

The win sets up a third meeting against Lou-Platte rival Gibbon. The Buffaloes took Ravenna to overtime before falling in the semifinals of the Lou-Platte Conference Tournament.

"Gibbon has two of the top players in the area, but then they also have some other guys sprinkled in there who have stepped it up like Cudabeck and Yockey," Beranek said. "Those guys have really come on and gave some relief to the Reinertson brothers.

"You have to give a lot of credit Paul (Reinertson) and the job he's done coaching those others up because for a while there it was nothing but the Reinertson boys."

RAVENNA 76, BLUE HILL 50

BLUE HILL (12-11)

Hubl 2-3 0-0 4, Lowery 3-10 3-4 11, Bachman 2-8 2-3 7, Ockinga 3-6 0-0 9, Toepfer 4-9 0-0 8, Adams 1-6 0-2 2, Berger 0-1 0-1 0, Bonifas 3-5 1-3 7, Willicott 1-1 3-4 5. Totals 19-49 9-17 50.

RAVENNA (21-1)

Habe 1-2 0-0 2, Deines 3-6 0-0 6, Basnett 2-8 1-2 6, Mingus 2-8 1-2 6, Nissen 5-9 4-5 16, Johnson 3-8 0-0 9, Klosterman 0-1 0-0 0, Crowell 1-2 0-0 2, Chramosta 1-2 2-2 5, Douglas1-1 0-0 2, Chizek 5-9 0-0 15, Payne 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 27-62 7-9 76.

Blue Hill 12 9 11 16 50

Ravenna 19 20 21 16 76

3-Point goals Blue Hill 3-16 (Lowery 2-7, Bachman 1-5, Hubl 0-1, Adams 0-2). Ravenna 15-36 (Chizek 5-9, Habe 3-6, Johnson 3-8, Chramosta 1-2, Mingus 1-3, Deines 0-1, Klosterman 0-1, Basnett 0-2). Fouled out None. Rebounds Blue Hill 36 (Lowery 8). Ravenna 35 (Nissen 7). Turnovers Blue Hill 20, Ravenna 14. Total fouls Blue Hill 6, Ravenna 16. Technicals None.