Boys Basketball: Gillette vs. Evanston 4A State Championship Game Highlights [VIDEO]

Highlights of the Saturday, March 10th Class 4A boys basketball state championship game between Gillette and Evanston.

Scroll down to watch the highlights of the game!

In a double overtime thriller, Evanston takes the title by 1 point, thanks to a key block at the end.

Who cares what kind of look you have on the court…as long as you can shoot, that’s what matters. Someone sign this guy up! He’s got the best of both worlds!

Gillette vs. Evanston for the 4A state championship…first quarter…Evanston wearing the red…trying to establish a good start to the game and they would…Matt Eddington’s baseline drive lay-in would help get the Red Devils out to a 9-to-2 lead.

Actually Eddington was the one doing most of the work early on…19 points for him in this game…he’ll weave his way around a defender in the lane…that would get the score up to 11-to-5.

But Gillette would fight their way back into this one…Westin Hinkel is open in the corner and you can’t leave him like that, because he knows what to do…he poured in 11, and the Camels trail 11-to-8.

The defending state champs would at times go to their big man…that would be Cody Anderson…his 6 feet 6 inch size equalled 10 points in this game…and it was usually up close…his team still trails, 11-to-10.

What the Red Devils lacked in size…they tried to make up for in speed…Matt Johnson takes the lob…gets a great pic and he has a clear path to hoop…he chipped in with 15 points of his own, and his team leads, 15-to-10 after the first 8 minutes.

2^nd quarter…Evanston was trying to turn up the heat…Johnson gets the ball…gets the contact…gets the whistle…gets the bucket…gets one more…the 3 point play would push the score up to 18-10.

Gillette was able to withstand it and would cool off the opposition…Hinkel stops, pops, and hits from 15 feet out and that got the comeback started…they’re still down 18-12.

Hinkel figured that last shot went so well…he’d try it again from longer range…he just has to fake one defender. There he goes and here comes 3 more…the Camels are right back in this one, trailing 18-15.

That was a little too close for the west regional champs…Tyler Chandler decided to do something about it…tough shot, but he’ll get the kiss off of the glass and take a little spill in the process…it got the job done, and his team has a little more breathing room…up 20-to-15.

But that did not deter the opposition…Jade Kampfe will find his way around a defender in the paint and get 2 more points for his team…and Gillette was only losing by 3…it was 20-to-17 going into the locker room.

Now anyone knows, that it’s not a state championship game…let alone state championship highlights…unless we give Scotty some love. We didn’t forget about the fastest double push-broom pusher in the west!

3^rd quarter…the Camels got a little bit tired of this trailing business…Michael Cook has something in the oven…and it smells like 3 points and a tie game…it’s a 20-20 contest.

Then the defense and transition game will show up out of nowhere…Cody Kelley pics off the pass, and he’s taking off for 2 points on the left side…his team now has the lead at 22-to-20.

They had the mo and they were using it…Cook has a another receipe for 2 more points…that would cap off a 16-to-3 run…and Gillette was in decent position, with a 26-21 advantage.

Evanston had to respond soon and they did…Johnson will get the offensive rebound and stick the ball back in for 2…and end up on his back in the process, but he got the call…and the Red Devils are only down 26-25.

Later…there was plenty of basketball still to be played in this one…Johnson thought about it a couple of times…and then just did it…he got the deuce and it’s 29-27 with his team still trailing.

The opposition was able to keep Evanston away at arms length…but they couldn’t quite put them away…Kade Lym is going to get into the act…that ended up being his only 3 points of the game, but it was huge…the Red Devils were down by 1…31-30 going into the final 8 minutes.

4^th quarter…things were going back and forth and that was to be expected…Kelley is going to get 2 in the paint for Gillette and it’s a now a 37-36 contest.

Evanston would  go to the bench to counter…Will Barker only took 1 shot…and that was all he needed to do…32 minutes between these 2 teams was not enough… it was 40-to-40 when the clock ran out.

Let’s ask the Gillette fans…you want to see 4 minutes of overtime? I’ll take that as a yes…all right, let’s do it.

This game kept on going and the Red Devils would strike first with the extra time…Tyler Chandler…shot…whistle…bucket…he missed the extra try though, so it’s only 42-to-40 at this point.

But then the sleeping giant woke up for Gillette…Anderson will do what he does best and that’s score up close…and the foul…the 3 point play has the score tied up at 43-all.

The opposition would sink a few free throws on the other end to go up 2…so the Camels had to answer…Hinkel was not going to be denied on that drive…he got the 2, but could not convert after that…and the score is even again at 45.

Let’s ask the Evanston fans…how about 4 more minutes? This game was good and everyone there knew it.

Now in the 2^nd overtime…the defending state champs were taking it inside…Kampfe hooks it over 2 defenders as Gillette would take a 3 point lead…it’s 49-46.

Then they would use a little deception…Kelley draws the defense in…and Logan Wasson will slip in from behind for the bucket…it’s now a 2 possession game with Gillette up 51-47.

But there was still some time left for the Red Devils…we haven’t heard from Eddington in quite awhile…here comes a reminder…hey guys..I’m still here. That 3 was huge…his team is down 51-50.

Points are now getting critical…Eddington facing the 2 biggest free throws of his career and he hits them both to put his team up by 1, with about 5 seconds to go…and I don’t think there was one person sitting down now!

There was just enough time for Gillette to try to pull off one more play…Wasson has a open lane…he’s going for broke…but Johnson responds with the rejection…with 3 seconds left…the defense made a play when it absolutely had to…the Red Devils recover the loose the ball and the celebration can begin.

Evanston wins a double overtime thriller over the defending state champs…52-51, to take home their first state title since 2004.

The Red Devils would finish the season with a record of 25-and-3.