Star Valley Boys Cash In On Battleson’s Bank Shot [VIDEO]

Highlights of the 3A Boys State Championship Basketball game, between Powell vs. Star Valley.

Scroll down to watch highlights of the game.

Kohl Battelson showed up when his team needed him the most, by scoring his only 2 points of the game at the buzzer.

The last group of turtles that he tried to jump on, were 5 foot tall ninjas. He has since retired and taken up a new hobby.

Powell vs. Star Valley in the 3A state championship game…first quarter…Star Valley wearing the white…Wyatt Shinaver puts up a running one handed shot, and he’ll get a few friendly bounces and the drop for the first 2 points of the contest, and his team is on the board.

Jumpers were the theme in the early going. Here’s Dalton Passey pulling up from about 16 feet and he’ll get the bounce himself…things were going the way of the Braves early on, with the score at 6-to-2.

Powell got off to a rough start…in fact it took almost 4 and ½ minutes before they scored their first field goal of the game…Hayden Cragoe takes the assist…gets around 1 defender and takes care of that problem…now his team is trailing 8-to-4.

This is the 4^th time this season, these 2 teams have hooked up…so they have each other figured out…Shinaver was not fooled by the pump fake and he would be rewarded with a rejection…his team-mates would take it the other way…D.J. Sims lost it…got it back…and again more friendly bounces…just about anything was going in for last year’s state runner ups who now have a 10-4 advantage good buddy.

They knew how to get the ball inside…but not too close that they would get swatted. Trace Haderlie will make a contribution to help double up the score, which now reads 12-to-6.

The defense was clicking as well…Cory Heny is going to be relieved of his duties by Passey who has an open path ahead of him…for 2 more of his 15 points…as the Braves were in pretty good shape up 14-to-6, after the first 8 minutes.

2^nd quarter…Powell eventually got it going…Kalei Smith is just a sophomore…but he’s putting on senior like moves…and the refs give him one more for his efforts…the 3 point play now has his team down 14-to-9.

The boys in black would pull a fast one out of their playbook…Marshall McArthur scores quickly off of the inbounds…he scored 14 and was 1 rebound short of a double-double…the deficit shrinks to 4…it’s 15-to-11.

Star Valley had to find someone else to go to, in order to maintain the advantage…here’s Paxton Hokanson with a 15-foot jumper…that would provide some relief…and would push the score up to 17-11.

But the Panthers were on the prowl…Smith…the finger roll…bucket…and 1…he led all scorers with 17, and that 3-point combo would get his team to within 3…it’s 17-14.

The west regional champs, had taken control of the momentum and pace of this game…McArthur is going to count to 3…and then he’s going to move the ball…through the net…Powell was within striking distance…trailing 19-to-17 going into the locker room.

3^rd quarter…they needed to put on another move or 2 in order to even this contest up…Cragoe will answer the call for his team…and now things are tied with a pair of 19’s on the scoreboard.

The Braves were in a drought and needed to bust out of it…no points in 6 minutes plus…Shinaver had to be a little patient but he got the 2, in order to take care of that problem…and his team is back on top 21-to-19.

Star Valley was working on re-establishing control…and needed a play just like this…Shinaver finds Passey streaking right through the lane and that s highlight worthy…the lead grows with the score at 23-19.

They looked more comfortable when things were going their way…Sims will cap off an 8-nothing run with the turn-around, to give his squad a 27-19 advantage.

Once again the boys in black had to play catch up…and they were used to it…Smith is hoping to pounce on this 3-ball and he’s got it…he had moves outside the arc as well…his team trials 27-22.

Things were going back and forth for awhile…and if you were one of the Braves…that was all right…Shinaver is going to drain an 18-footer a couple of seconds ahead of the buzzer and he was feeling it…because his team had a 31-to-24 lead, going into the final 8 minutes.

4^th quarter…they wanted to put this game away..and the plan was working…Passey is in the corner…causing trouble…that was the only 3 that Star Valley made, but it was huge…the advantage is at 9…the score is 34-to-25.

The Panthers knew it was now or never…and if they did not get it in gear…it was going to be the latter…McArthur is hiding behind the referee…but we saw him put that one up…and saw that one go down for 3…it was a start…his team is down 34-28.

They needed more…and time was becoming the enemy…the heat was on, and Smith was cool under pressure. That was another much needed 3…to close the gap…now it’s 34-31.

The opposition got a couple of free throws to make it 36-31…but then Smith would develop a hot hand…he would step on the NBA 3-point line…and well…this is high school…so that still counts for 3…eventually Powell would tie the score up at 36-all with about 2 minutes to go.

The boys in black were knocking on the door for their first title since 1998…of course one thing a team needs is the lead…which they have yet to obtain…Cragoe…baseline drive…hoop and the hack…mission accomplished, but he could not convert on the extra, so his team is now on top 38-36.

The opposition was in another one of their droughts and this was not the time to be in one…5 and ½ minutes plus without a field goal…Passey will take care of that…and convert, but Powell would get that 1 back eventually…so that would put the score at 39-39.

Now I’m sure you’ve seen it by now…11 seconds to go…tie score…Star Valley ball. Number 3 is Kohl Battleson…the smallest player on the court…one question…where has this guy been?

(BUZZER)

Better question…who cares? The senior picked the right time to finally show up and put in his only 2 points of the game…and it was the 2 that mattered the most.

The Braves win their first championship since 2007, on a buzzer beater…41-to-39. Star Valley would finish the season, with a record of 22-and-5.