BASKETBALL: Indian sophomores go two-and-out at Murphy Tournament

Du Quoin led by five with 26.5 seconds to play in regulation of Monday night's game against Carlyle at the Murphysboro Sophomore Tournament, but the Indians in gold got a quick two-pointer, two missed free throws at the other end, and a buzzer-beating three to force overtime before going on to win 60-56.

DHS had several opportunities in the overtime to either tie the score or go ahead, but couldn't convert.

Du Quoin led 26-21 at the half and battled back and forth with Carlyle in the third and fourth quarters and overtime where there were four ties and three lead changes.

The red and black Indians were down by two with 2:45 to go in regulation when Jon Harsy hit a turnaround hook shot in the paint to tie the game up at 49-49. After Carlyle was called for a traveling violation, Nolan Showalter hit one of two free throws with 1:06 to go, then got a steal at the other end which led to two more at the line with 48.0 remaining.

Brock Bullar hit two more DHS free throws with 26.5 to go to put Du Quoin up 54-49, but then things simply fell apart.

An uncontested Carlyle lay-up followed by a missed opportunity at the line by Du Quoin's Cole Hopkins with 17.8 on the clock set up a last-second three pointer to send the game into an extra four minute frame.

Showalter penetrated for the last of his team-high 15 points to start the scoring in OT, but Du Quoin failed to get another shot to fall.

Down three with the ball and 17.6 seconds left in the OT, DHS got the break they needed when Bullar was fouled on a three-point attempt. Bullar, who was 5-for-5 at the line up until that point, couldn't get any of the three awarded free throws to fall and Carlyle held on despite missing 3-of-4 at the line themselves in the final 13.1 seconds.

Jacob Wright finished with 13 points for DHS, Bullar 9, Harsy 8, Tucker Kuhnert 5, Hopkins 4, Hunter Behm 2.

Du Quoin's season is over while Carlyle moves on to the semifinals of the consolation bracket at Murphysboro.