WILD RIDE
Snowden, Raiders pull off one stunning victory at Class B area, just miss another
LOMEGA’S Blake Snowden puts up a shot that proved to be the game-winner Saturday in a double-overtime victory against No. 9 Kinta in a Class A area consolation game. Snowden also hit a shot late in the first overtime to push the game into the second ext
The Lomega boys basketball team saw the magic run out on Monday, but not before it took fans on one wild ride.
The Raiders’ season ended with a 37-35 loss to No. 19 Earlsboro in a Class B area consolation semifinal at Stroud.
Blake Snowden’s jumper and Kade Shaloy’s putback that would have tied the game just missed their marks, the second as time expired.
The misses capped a frantic final 38 seconds that saw Lomega nearly erase a six-point deficit.
Owen Duffy stole back-to-back inbounds passes by Earlsboro.
The first steal he converted into a layup with 36 seconds to play to pull the Raiders within 37-33.
Duffy then stole yet another inbounds pass and saved it behind his back as he was falling out of bounds.
That save went to Ben Marsh who fed Brooks Uhlenhake for a bucket with 26 seconds left.
The Wildcats were finally able to safely get the ball in play, but Quintin Lena missed a free throw attempt seconds later.
That eventually led to Lomega’s last gasp.
The team was in a similar position - multiple times - just two days earlier.
That time, though, Lomega got the most important shots to drop in a 47-45 double-overtime thriller over No. 9 Kinta in the consolation quarterfinal.
The game winner came off of Snowden’s hands and fell through with 2.8 seconds left in the second overtime.
The Raiders were down by two when Snowden tied the game with a turnaround jumper with 32 seconds left in the second OT.
Shaloy drew a charge 10 seconds later to give the ball back to Lomega.
After a timeout with 8.2 seconds to play, Snowden caught in, spun, drove the lane and hit the fadeaway.
The Raiders then intercepted the deep pass to preserve the dramatic win.
They were down 36-33 in regulation when Kelby Ott tied it with a 3-pointer with 40 seconds to play.
Neither team scored the rest of regulation.
In the first extra frame, Kinta led 42-40 and had possession with under 30 seconds left.
Snowden deflected a Kinta pass that Uhlenhake grabbed while being fouled.
Uhlenhake made one of two free throws to pull his team within a point. Kinta answered with a free throw on the other end for the two-point lead.
Snowden missed two at the charity stripe with 14 seconds to play, but Kinta was whistled for a travel on the rebound, giving the Raiders another shot.
This time Snowden made good as he tied the game at 43-all with a runner in the lane with eight seconds to play.
Snowden scored six of his game-high 16 in the two overtimes.
Uhlenhake and Ott scored 10 apiece. Ott had seven in the fourth quarter as Lomega outscored Kinta 13-8 to force the first OT.
He led Lomega with 12 in the loss to Earlsboro while Uhlenhake scored 10.
Lomega’s season ended with a 19-10 record.