How The 6B Tourney Was Won

It was an absolutely thrilling finish to the District 6B Boys Basketball Tournament Championship Game on Saturday night at the Snake Pit between the Anaconda Copperheads and the Loyola-Sacred Heart Rams, and we have the photos to prove it. Let's walk you all through what transpired on the way to Anaconda's 67-62 overtime win over the Rams.

 

1: After Anaconda called timeout following an offensive rebound by Ryder Anderson with 1:47 remaining in the fourth quarter and the 'Heads down 53-50, Kyson Patrick leaned in for a bucket down low to pull AHS to within a point of the Rams.

 

2: Then Travis Dye pulled off a steal-and-score to give Anaconda the lead, 54-53. Loyola would reclaim the lead at 55-54 with less than a minute to go – and then with only 18.9 seconds left the Rams went to the foul line and knocked down both attempts to take a 57-54 lead. Things looked bleak.

 

3: After racing down the court, Brody Galle stepped up and launched a three looking to tie it, but missed.

 

4: Yet like they say, "if at first you don't succeed, try try again," and Galle did, first by chasing down his own offensive rebound.

 

5: Then by stepping up and shooting again from beyond the arc, this time from the top of the key.

 

6: Swish! Nothing but the bottom of the net! Game tied, 57 all, with less than 11 seconds left.

 

7: Loyola had one more chance, as No. 23 Jamo Kendrick took the inbounds pass up the court.

 

8: Yet Travis Dye and Ryder Anderson's tenacious D forced No. 23 wide down the sideline.

 

9: Kendrick put up a floater from the baseline as everyone – players, coaches and a packed Memorial Gym – held their breath to see if it would be game over or overtime.

 

10: Overtime it is, as the shot shook and rattled the rim – and rattled out.

 

11: The extra period was all Anaconda, with Jesse Jones giving AHS the lead, 61-59, with a steal-and-score.

 

12: Then Galle would get another moment of heroics, leaning in for a jumper as the shot clock was about to expire.

 

13: And it, too, found the bottom of the net for what would be the winning points. Loyola though had shown some life left even after Travis Dye had put AHS up 65-59, hitting a three to pull within three, 65-62, with 31 seconds left in OT, but Anaconda made it a four-point game after Kyson Patrick went 1-of-2 from the line after being fouled with 16.6 seconds remaining. Yet that was still technically within a possession.

 

14: Enter Jesse Jones, who was fouled after Anaconda got the ball back with 7.3 seconds on the clock. His teammates looked on knowing that one more point would put the game on ice.

 

15: And there it was – swish! - that last point to seal the deal.

 

16: The team celebrates another big win this year over Loyola, this one for the 6B title. Check back in on Friday for more photos from districts. Leader photos: James S. Rosien