Don Ketchum
Former Staff Writer, AZPreps365.com

Five OTs -- are you serious? Yes, Florence boys survive

February 14, 2012 by Don Ketchum, AZPreps365


By Don Ketchum

The boys from Florence and Phoenix Northwest Christian highs played 52 minutes of basketball in their first-round game in the Division III state tournament on Tuesday night (Feb. 14).

The math whizzes already have it figured out – four eight-minute quarters and five four-minute overtime periods – that’s 52 minutes.

Five overtimes?

Yes, indeed.

Visiting Florence, the 19th seed in the expanded tournament, went home happy with a 65-64 victory.

The Gophers (22-9) advance to Friday’s (Feb. 17) second round against third-seeded Snowflake at the Northern Arizona University Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff. Tip-off is 4:30 p.m. Northwest Christian, which finished at 16-12, was the No. 14 seed.

“Anybody could have won this game,’’ said Florence co-coach Cy Henry, former long-time coach at Apache Junction. “Both teams played and played and played. They (Northwest Christian) deserved to win as much as we did.’’

The five overtimes tied for the second-longest game in state history.

On two occasions, six overtimes were played, by Safford and Morenci in 1964 and Mesa Red Mountain and Gilbert Highland in 2004. The other five-overtime contest was between St. David and San Simon in 1971.

Gavin Wood’s tip-in with seven seconds left in the fifth overtime provided Florence with the margin of victory.

It was his 3-pointer that got the Gophers back into the game after Northwest Christian scored two quick baskets to start the fifth extra session.

Northwest Christian’s loss took the steam out of a brilliant second-half and overtime effort by senior Hayden Anderson. He scored 24 of his 26 points after intermission, including four 3-pointers. Jacob Berry contributed 13 points.

Jeremy Verhagen, Florence’s 6-foot-9 junior post man, finished with 25 points, and Wood, a 6-3 sophomore, had 19. Wood in particular was relentless in his aggressiveness underneath the basket.

“We haven’t played a lot of close games this year, so this definitely was a big test for us,’’ Henry said. “Yes, we still have to go out and play on the road again (Friday), but at least we’re still playing.’’