Prairie View sophomore Justin Fleer hits a field goal on a jumper inside the paint against Osawatomie on Friday. Fleer scored 35 points in the game that went into quadruple overtime. (Roger Sims/Linn County Journal)
The Prairie View mens basketball team took the Osawatomie Trojans into quadruple overtime on Friday, Jan. 13, before going down 66-61. The Buffalos’ remain winless for the season, but the final score was a vast improvement over the 52-17 loss Osawatomie handed them last month in the Linn County tournament.
The Buffalos managed to tie the score at the end of regulation and each of the first three overtime periods, but the loss of two key players on fouls in the final overtime and successful free throws by the Trojans put the game out of reach as the clock ticked down.
The Buffalos started out slow, letting the Trojans take a 13-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. But the Prairie View defense held Osawatomie to 3 points in the second quarter while Mason Mitzner and Justin Fleer got a field goal apiece and Konitzer dropped a trey to cut the Trojan lead to 16-15 at the half.
A couple of free throws, a field goal and a 3-pointer by Fleer and a field goal apiece by Ronnie Davis and Joseph Sramek gave the Buffalos a 28-26 lead going into the fourth quarter.
In a furious battle in the final quarter of regulation, the Buffalos added 17 points and the Trojans put another 20 on the scoreboard, giving Osawatomie a 46-45 lead. But as time ran out Prairie View’s Konitzer sunk a free throw to tie the game and move it into overtime.
Buffalo Mason Mitzner shoots for 2 points. The sophomore added 3 crucial points in the fourth overtime before fouling out. (Roger Sims/Linn County Journal)
A clutch jump shot by Fleer tied the score, 49-49, at the end of the first overtime. A 2-pointer by Konitzer tied the score at 51 apiece at the end of the second overtime.
Fleer hit three field goals in the third overtime to tie the score at 57-57. But Fleer fouled out and then Konitzer followed him out on fouls after scoring a field goal and a free throw. Prairie View’s Gabe Murillo sunk a free throw, but it wasn’t enough to overcome on-target shots at the stripe by Osawatomie’s Japin Scales and the Trojans won by 5 points.
The Buffalos did a better job on rebounds, pulling down 68 compared to the Trojans’ 63, and they caused 12 turnovers on steals compared to Osawatomie’s 10.
But following the lead of Trojan Cooper Peterson at post, Osawatomie blocked nine shots. The Trojans also capitalized on free throws, sinking 51% to Prairie View’s 39%.
Both teams sunk less than a third of their field goals with getting 2 points on 25% of their shots compared to 29% for Osawatomie. Both teams were 19% from 3-point range.
The Buffalos (0-9) will take on Jayhawk-Linn on Tuesday, Jan. 17, in a midseason tournament at Uniontown. The Jayhawks (7-1) handed Prairie View a 35-18 loss in the Linn County tourney last month. The Buffalos will resume Pioneer League play at Burlington on Jan. 24.