BonnerSprings.com

Shawnee — From day one this season, Mill Valley boys basketball coach Justin Bogart has demanded toughness from his team.

Never has Bogart needed his team to heed that message more than Monday when the Jaguars played host to rival Bonner Springs.

Within the past week Mill Valley had one player quit the team, one transferred to Bishop Miege, one was suspended and another suffered a season-ending injury. Of those four, two were starters and the other two were key reserves. That left the Jaguars with a hodgepodge of three starters, a couple reserves with limited varsity experience and a few more who were called into action to fill the vacancies.

The Jaguars — what’s left of them, anyway — rallied together and gave their coach the intense effort he has asked for all season. They needed every last drop of it to match Bonner Springs’ effort, and in the end they pulled out a 65-58 victory in overtime.

“Kudos to Bonner, because they just come out and play so hard and play physical against us. They’ve got an extra gear when they play Mill Valley,” Bogart said. “But I’m very proud of our kids.”

For four minutes, Mill Valley had a firm grip on the game. It forced three turnovers on the first four BSHS possessions of the game and exploded to an 8-2 lead as Austin Muckenthaler scored twice and Taylor Reinoehl and Tyler Gude both added buckets.

After that, things got interesting quickly. A put-back by Stevie Williams and a free throw and 3-pointer from Juan Pichardo, a layup by Wole Imokhome and another Williams put-back capped a quarter-ending 10-5 run by the Braves and brought them within 13-12.

The game would remain tight the rest of the way.

A 3-point play by Austin Laing on the second possession of the second quarter gave BSHS a 15-13 lead. The teams went on to endure three ties and six lead changes in the quarter. A 3-pointer by Muckenthaler just before the buzzer sent Mill Valley into halftime with a 31-30 lead.

“We were not very good in the first half tonight. Bonner outplayed us,” Bogart said. “They looked like K-State attacking the boards like they did; they hit big shots. But we stayed after it, we got a Muckenthaler three at the end and we’re up.”

Mill Valley opened the third quarter on a 5-0 run as Jordan Bath made a jumper and a free throw and Reinoehl scored on a layup off of a turnover.

The Jaguars forced five turnovers in the quarter and held Bonner Springs to 1-for-10 shooting. In the process, they maintained their lead throughout the quarter and took a 41-35 lead into the fourth quarter.

That’s when the game again resembled the second quarter. Numerous ties and lead changes took place, and big shots were answered with bigger shots.

B.J. Watson swished a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the fourth quarter. Moments later, Pichardo knocked down a runner in the lane. Watson buried another trey on the next possession, capping an 8-0 run and giving the Braves a 43-41 lead with 5:51 to go.

The teams traded points for the next four minutes before a 3-pointer by MVHS freshman Kendall Short gave the Jaguars a 48-47 lead. A block by Reinoehl at the other end started a fast break that ended with a Sam Carroll layup. The Braves countered with a 3-point play from Cameron Callahan and tied the game at 50-50 with 59.8 seconds left.

Each team had a fruitless possession, and then Mill Valley played for the final shot. With time ticking down, Reinoehl drove to the lane and kicked the ball out to Carroll on the wing. He had an open look from beyond the arc, fired it and buried the 3-pointer with 8.6 seconds to go. Bonner Springs called a timeout and drew up a potential game-tying play.

“We called that timeout and organized our play. They almost ran it exactly like they should. They just rushed it a little bit,” BSHS coach Ryan Hull said. “It got the exact thing that we wanted, it’s just that we wanted to get it to Juan in stride, in sync, not with a hand in his face having to fade away.”

With Tyler Gude guarding him tightly, Pichardo pump-faked and then fired a fadeaway 3-pointer that swished through the net as the buzzer sounded.

Overtime.

Bonner Springs won the opening tip and quickly got the ball to Laing for a layup. Short was fouled on the ensuing possession and made one of two free throws. Moments later, Reinoehl stole a pass and went coast-to-coast for a layup that gave Mill Valley a 56-55 lead. Imokhome tied the game when he hit one of two free throws with 2:27 left. A 3-pointer by Carroll off of a drive-and-kick assist by Short gave the Jaguars the lead for good at 59-56.

“He shot those with confidence,” Bogart said of Carroll’s big 3-pointers late in the game. “I was disappointed that he didn’t get the game-winner in regulation, so what does he do? He comes out and hits the big one in overtime.”

Carroll, Short and Gude each hit free throws down the stretch to put away a game that the small but spirited crowd will remember.

“This is the loudest, most boisterous place that I’ve coached in year-in and year-out,” Hull said. “It’s right across the river, our fans really get into it, it’s an easy traveling distance. It was a pretty good crowd for a random Monday night make-up game, but we just didn’t have enough to pull it out tonight. It wasn’t without trying. That was one heck of an effort by our kids.”

Muckenthaler scored a game-high 18 points for Mill Valley, and Short and Carroll finished with 15 apiece.

Pichardo led Bonner Springs with 15 points, Callahan had 12 and Laing added 11.

Bonner Springs (4-9 overall, 1-5 Kaw Valley League) next plays Tuesday against Bishop Ward at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Mill Valley improved to 5-7 overall and stayed in second place in the KVL with a 5-1 league record. The Jaguars next play Tuesday at Santa Fe Trail.

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