Bells' comeback against Pottsboro clinches playoff berth

POTTSBORO — Sitting in second place, the Bells Panthers wanted to remain close enough to the top spot in the standings but also above the fray where four teams were in close proximity behind them.

The Pottsboro Cardinals are one of those trying to make a push over the final two weeks in what is turning out to be a mad dash to reach the playoffs out of District 11-3A.

Thanks to some strong play at both ends of the court down the stretch in this match-up, Bells rallied for a 49-45 victory over Pottsboro and clinched a playoff spot for the third straight season and sixth time in seven years.

“Definitely our defense — that’s what we’ve hung our hat on all year,” Bells head coach Troy Willis said. “We picked up full court and that flipped the switch.”

Bo Baker scored 18 points, Hunter Dunn added 11 points and Cooper Smith chipped in 10 points for Bells (22-5, 9-2), which hosts third-place Howe on Tuesday night.

A victory against the Bulldogs would lock up no worse than second place as the Panthers are also attempting to pull even with first-place Leonard.

“Us and Leonard have separated ourselves a little bit,” Willis said. “We like the spot we’re in right now.”

Aaron Massie scored 10 points, Connor Hosch had eight points and Piercen Reid added six points for Pottsboro (16-14, 5-6), which travels to Blue Ridge on Tuesday.

The two teams are tied in fourth place, and just a game in front of Gunter, heading into the final three contests of the season. Gunter and Blue Ridge then square off on Friday.

Baker’s free throw with 4.5 seconds remaining clinched the victory just moments after Pottsboro’s three-point try to tie the game was off the mark.

Hosch had hit a three from the right corner to pull Pottsboro within a point with 25 seconds left before Stephen Hinds made a pair of free throws.

The Cardinals had tied the score at 42 on a Reid layup with 44 seconds to go that also served as Pottsboro’s first basket of the fourth quarter.

Dunn went to the line, hit the first free throw and missed the second but Smith was there for the putback, took the contact and made his free throw for a four-point margin.

The Panthers opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 run fueled by two layups from Baker and a three-pointer from the top of the key by Dunn which had Bells in front at 37-36 with 5:40 remaining — its first lead since 5:39 of the second quarter — and set up the tight finish.

“Our kids have been in those types of situations — five seniors and five juniors — where they’re used to it,” Willis said. “Half-time I told them the same thing at the end of the third quarter — keep trusting in yourself. The shots are going to start falling and they did.”

Despite going 10-and-a-half minutes without a point, Bells was down only single digits when Dunn’s jumper ended the drought with 3:34 remaining in the third quarter.

Hinds’ layup on the ensuing possession trimmed the deficit to five but the Panthers managed just two more baskets the rest of the stanza.

Massie scored three times in the quarter and Cash McCullough’s three from the left corner had the home team up by 10 before Smith notched the final points of the third and Pottsboro had a 36-28 lead going into the deciding eight minutes.

The Cardinals took a 27-20 lead into halftime after holding the Panthers scoreless for the final 6:03 of the second quarter.

Bells managed just two baskets in the frame — layups on the break by Baker on consecutive possessions.

The latter following a steal put the Panthers up 20-19.

Ryan Kennedy hit a three-pointer while Jay Bradley and Cooper Dorris had buckets around a free throw by Dorris to provide the cushion heading to the locker room.

Eight different Cardinals scored in the first half.

Pottsboro jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead before Bells tied the score at seven and then again at 12.

Baker’s layin — his third basket of the frame — with just over a minute to go in the first quarter gave the Panthers’ a 16-12 advantage but Ayden Barnett drilled a three and Reid scored on a drive as the Cardinals carried a 17-16 lead into the second quarter.

This article originally appeared on Herald Democrat: Bells' comeback against Pottsboro clinches a playoff berth