No. 7 Cyclones Upset Irish, Advance To Class D1 Semifinals

Seventh-seed Clearwater-Orchard upset No. 2 North Platte St. Patrick's 46-42 Thursday morning at the state basketball tournament, advancing to the Class D1 semifinals.

The Cyclones will play No. 6 Randolph/ No. 3 Elm Creek in the semifinals on Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Sports Center in Lincoln.

The Cyclones scored first in the opening quarter of the tournament, but didn't lead again until less than two minutes remained in the game. Andy Kerkman hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 39. The score remained knotted for more than three minutes until the Irish connected on a free throw for the one-point advantage.

But Kerkman responded with a basket for the first Cyclone lead since they were up 2-0 in the first. Tate Schutt extended the lead from the charity stripe, going 4-for-4 with under one minute to play, giving the Cyclones a 45-40 advantage.

The Irish closed it to 45-42 with a pair of free throws. But Schutt sealed the win at the free-throw line, connecting on the front end of a 1-of-2, making it a two-possession advantage with under two seconds to play.

Related Story:
Clearwater-Orchard To Play Randolph For Chance At D1 Title

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