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A dream scenario ended in nightmarish fashion for the Riverside-Brookfield boys basketball team in the Class 3A Sectional semifinal on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs held a 49-46 lead with four seconds left in regulation against Marshall before the Commandos’ Marlon Sykes made a half-court shot to shockingly send the game into overtime.
In the extra period, Keifer Sykes finished off Marshall’s miraculous 56-54 comeback victory when he sank a game-winning 15-foot step-back jumper with three seconds left on the clock. With the victory, Marshall advances to the RB Sectional title game against the winner of St. Joseph vs. Crane on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m.).
Riverside-Brookfield appeared to be in a good spot near the end of regulation, leading 44-38, but Marshall battled back to force the overtime.
Ryan Jackson scored a game-high 29 points and pulled down seven rebounds for RB. Brown-bound guard Sean McGonagill added 14 points and four rebounds and Watoris Slater had eight points and seven rebounds for the Bulldogs.
Despite a heartbreaking loss to end their season, the Bulldogs enjoyed another successful run this year by racking up 22 wins, a Metro Suburban Conference championship, and a runner-up finish at the prestigious Jack Tosh Holiday Classic hosted by York.
Terrance Reed, Billy VandeMerkt and McGonagill all had excellent senior campaigns, while Slater and Jackson are expected back in the lineup next season.
Read more about this game in the March 17 edition of the Landmark.
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