The Platte County Pirates’ basketball team had to come from behind to beat Belton 58-55 to get the first win at home this season on Tuesday, Dec. 17.
Both teams started ice cold from the field, with the first bucket coming nearly two and half minutes into the contest when senior Anthony Morrison connected on a three-point shot that was followed by another three from the corner by Hayden Schultz to give Platte County an early 6-2 lead.
Both teams cold shooting continued throughout the first quarter, with the difference coming in offensive rebounding by Belton that led to three, four, or five chances in one possession. With the game tied at 13-13, the Belton Pirates held for the last shot and got a shot to go just before the buzzer to take a two-point edge.
The Pirates got the ball to start the second quarter but turned the ball over on an offensive foul. Turnovers and bad shooting allowed Belton to climb out to an eight-point lead midway through the second period and were looking to extend it, but a traveling call gave the ball back to Platte County, and junior Jayden Martin answered with a three-point shot to cut Belton’s lead to five.
Belton would quickly answer with a bucket, but a hot shooting Braiden Stevens entered the game and hit the first of his four three-point shots in the game to get Platte County back to within two possessions with just over a minute left until halftime.
The Pirates had a chance for the last shot but turned the ball over, and like at the end of the first quarter, Belton got a shot at the buzzer and took a 10-point 35-25 lead into halftime.
The Pirates’ shooting hands warmed up in the locker room at halftime and came out hot to start the third quarter. Within 90 seconds, Platte County had cut Belton’s lead down to just three points, prompting a timeout.
Platte County tied the game at 35-35 on a three-point shot, but Belton quickly answered to grab the lead back. However, a three-point shot by Morrison gave the lead back to the Pirates.
Platte County extended the lead to four points, but Belton came firing back. Belton blocked a shot by Platte County and tried for a third buzzer beater, but the shot did not fall, but Belton held a two-point lead.
Belton was able to get Peterson, Platte County’s best player, out of the game with about five and a half minutes of the game left with four fouls.
With 3:39 left in the game, Stevens hit a three from the corner to give Platte County a 51-49 lead, but Belton was able to tie the game on the next possession. Stevens, who had four threes in the game, hit another long shot to give the lead back to Platte County.
With less than a minute left in the game and trailing by a point, Belton decided to start fouling but picked the wrong guy in Stevens, who stepped to the line to hit both shots to ice the game.
The Pirates followed by the win over Belton with a road conference win over William Chrisman 72-50 to improve to 4-2 heading into the holiday break. Platte County will pick things back up on Jan. 3 at home versus Ruskin before heading out on the road at Pembroke Hill and Truman.
