Greene County senior Trey Tucker became the first player to score 40 or more points against the Perry boys since at least the 2004-05 season. In the end, Tucker’s 43 point-outburst proved to be not enough, as Bluejay junior Drew Levan — who scored all of six points — made his final three count when it mattered most, splashing a 3-pointer from the left wing as the final seconds ran off the clock to give Perry a 65-62 non-conference victory.
The win was the sixth consecutive for Perry in the once-a-year scrap with their oldest rival, who last tasted victory with a 45-42 win early in the 2010-11 campaign.
Greene County (14-7) held a seven-point lead in the second frame, with Perry (11-9) leading by seven in the third quarter, but most of the game was a take-this, take-that battle, with neither team able to put the other away.
The Rams led, 12-10, after one stanza and opened a 21-14 lead only to see the Jays close to within 31-30 at the break. Perry held a 50-43 edge late in the third quarter, but a Tucker 3-pointer closed the gap to 50-46 entering the final period.
The contest swayed back-and-forth, with the teams tied at 56-all for over two minutes. Perry snatched a 62-60 lead on a Janier Puente basket amid traffic in the lane, but Tucker once again had the answer, scoring on a drive right down the lane to tie the game with eight seconds to play.
That proved to be too much time. Levan passed to Rashon Ivory, who dribbled toward the top of the key before flipping to a wide-open Levan on the left wing. Standing in front of a bellowing Rams cheering section, the junior calmly drilled the shot, with the ball falling through the net and into the hands of a distraught Tucker with one tick left, ending the game and setting off a wild Bluejay celebration.
Tucker had four 3-pointers and was 9-of-11 at the line (the Rams sank 10-of-14 overall), with 26 of his points coming in the second half. A four-year starter, he had scored a combined 46 points in his three previous games against the Jays. Several Bluejay starters and the Perry coaches took a little extra time in the handshake line, congratulating the senior on an outstanding effort.
Trey Hinote sank two triples for the Rams and finished with 13 points, with Wade Adcock, Tommy Jacobsen and Calvin Skalla scoring two points apiece.
Perry struggled at the free throw line again, connecting on just 14-of-27 and making only 2-of-11 in the fourth quarter. Ivory, Levan both hit one triple, with Connor Nielsen adding a key three late in the final frame.
Puente asserted himself in the paint in the second half, scoring seven times from the floor as part of his 18 post-intermission points. The 6-5 senior post had an unofficial 12 rebounds, and his 21 points led Perry, with Nielsen adding 12, Ivory 11 and Nevitt 10, with six from Levan and five from Brandon Kenyon capping the Bluejay offense.
Perry will open postseason play Monday in Boone when they face Gilbert at 6:30 p.m in a Class 3A District 3 Semifinal. Boone faces Humboldt in the 8 p.m. contest, with the winners to meet, in Boone, at 7 p.m. Feb. 23. The Substate 2 Final will be played at Johnston Feb 27 at 7 p.m. with the District 4 winner filling the other spot.
Webster City plays Ballard and Greene County host DC-G in Monday’s D4 game in which, like the Feb. 23 game, will be held in Grimes.
