By RANDY GONZALES
rgonzales@dailynews.net
The Monarchs won despite themselves.
And a breakout game by sophomore Nick Hammeke didn't hurt, either.
Hammeke scored a career-high 20 points and sophomore Pierce Schippers canned two late free throws to help the Thomas More Prep-Marian boys' basketball team survive for a 65-62 overtime win over Russell. Tuesday's night's win at Al Billinger Fieldhouse was the first over a team with a winning record this season.
It didn't come easy.
"Lots of opportunities," TMP-Marian coach Joe Hertel said. "Get the lead, seal the deal. We're a young club, we make mistakes. Pressure situations are hard for us."
Hammeke missed a layup and follow shot in the final seconds of regulation, and TMP-Marian missed eight of its first 12 free throws in overtime before Schippers stepped to the line with 18 seconds left and made both foul shots for a three-point lead.
Russell had four 3-pointers for a tie in the final seconds, but couldn't get any to fall.
"Last 18 seconds seemed like a year," Hertel said.
After Russell (10-8) scored first to start the game, TMP-Marian (6-12) maintained a lead for most of the game. The Broncos tied it five times, but the Monarchs would get the lead back. Russell finally took its first lead since 2-0, at 52-51 with 2:54 left in the game.
TMP-Marian got the lead back, and after a pair of Hammeke free throws with 25.5 seconds left, was up 59-56. But Russell junior Adam Buehler got open in the corner for a 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining that tied the game.
After a Monarch timeout with 9.6 seconds left, junior point guard Jordan Maska drove the lane and dished off to Hammeke underneath the basket. Hammeke missed the layup and follow shot.
"Jordan made a play," Hertel said. "Nick just hurried it."
Russell got the ball with 2.1 seconds left, but couldn't get a good look at the basket, sending the game into overtime.
In the extra session, TMP-Marian got all of its points from the foul line, and didn't have a field-goal attempt. The Monarchs made four free throws for a 63-59 lead, but Russell got a 3-pointer from senior Taylor Ochs with 38 seconds left to slice the deficit to a single point.
Hammeke missed two free throws with 34.6 seconds left, but Ochs missed a runner at the other end. After a scramble for the rebound, the Monarchs got the ball on the alternate possession and called timeout with 20.4 seconds left.
The ball was inbounded to Schippers, who was fouled with 18.6 seconds remaining. Schippers' first free throw hit the iron and backboard before dropping in, then he swished the second.
Hertel figured Russell would try to deny the ball to Maska and Hammeke on the inbounds pass, so he wanted the ball to go to one of his big men, which turned out to be Schippers.
"Way it turned out, I'm glad Pierce had a shot at it," Hertel said.
It was Hammeke's shooting which boosted the Monarchs throughout the game. Hammeke hit 4-of-5 from 3-point range and became the first Monarch this season to score 20 points.
"Nick (was) the leading scorer on the freshman team last season, 37 3s," Hertel said. "I know he can make shots. We desperately need offense." After hitting a 3-pointer in the first quarter, Hammeke scored seven in the second quarter to help TMP-Marian take a 30-28 halftime lead.
Hertel was happy for Hammeke, because a young player could have dwelled on the missed shots at the end of regulation, he said.
"I'm glad we got the win after what happened at the end of regulation," Hertel said. "I didn't want him to shoulder the burden, like a young player will do."
Hertel also was happy to see his team find a way to win in OT.
"We didn't throw in the towel," Hertel said. "Came out and built a four-point lead."
Junior Krayton Werth added 11 points for TMP-Marian. Russell got 17 points from senior Nick Turner.
TMP-Marian will play its final Mid-State Activities Association game on Friday, when rival Scott City comes to town. The MSAA is breaking up after this season. Scott City handed TMP-Marian its worst defeat of the season in the first meeting, beating the Monarchs 86-38 last month.
