WOODWARD — Tuesday’s West Central Activities Conference boys basketball game between Woodward-Granger and visiting Panorama was so closely contested in regulation it required an additional four minutes of action to determine the outcome.
Neither team led by more than six points in the game, with the majority of the 32 minutes of normal time played with either the Hawks or the Panthers clinging to leads of two, three or four points. Tied at 61-all, W-G sophomore Keith Braunschweig scored all 10 of the Hawks points in overtime as the hosts prevailed, 71-66.
W-G (6-3, 4-3) had opened a 53-48 lead early in the fourth quarter after the teams entered the frame knotted at 48-48. The Hawks briefly held a 58-52 margin, but Panorama (1-7, 1-6) closed to within a bucket with just under a minute to play.
The hosts attempted to put the game away by moving into a 61-58 lead with 16 seconds left. Panorama called a timeout and ran nine seconds off the clock observing the W-G defense before calling a final timeout. A set play worked sophomore Malachi Peasley open in the corner, and the point guard buried a 3-pointer — his only points of the game — just before the horn to force overtime.
The guests held a brief 63-62 lead in the overtime, with W-G moving back in front for good at 67-66. Jacob Merschman hit 3-of-4 free throws in the OT for the visitors, with Luke South adding a basket, but Braunschweig was the story.
The Hawk sophomore scored twice and converted 6-of-7 at the stripe to carry his team to victory. He finished the contest 11-of-14 at the line in scoring a game-high 21 points.
The tussle started at a quick pace, with W-G holding a 21-17 lead after one frame, only to have Panorama knot the score at 34-all just before the half.
W-G finished with a decided edge at the charity stripe, sinking 28-of-42 freebies while Panorama converted on 16 of their 27 foul shots.
Bryce Achenbach had 17 points for W-G and Noah Hoyt 11. Nine points from J.P. Nixon, eight from Pacey Moats and five from Reese Jamison capped the scoring.
Merschman and Gracen Welburg had 13 points apiece for the Panthers, with Zac Rizzuti adding 11 points and Michael Allen nine. Blaine Barber provided seven points, Kolby Shackelford six, South four and Peasley three.
Both teams are now off until Jan. 2, when W-G travels to Earlham while Panorama makes a visit to Ogden.
Peasley had 6 points, not 3. Just wanted to clarify.
Jay, I took my statistics from the official book at the scorers table. If there were an error, that is where it was. Sorry if it was incorrect, but I can only go “by the book.”