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Show Region six overtime thriller Bountiful defeats unlucky Judge, 69-66 r r t 1 - i By DIRK FACER Sports Editor SALT LAKE CITY Poor Jim Ycrkovich. The long-time coach of the Judge Memorial Bulldogs just can't win these days. No, his coaching talents haven't disappeared, but his luck - seemingly has. The latest jolt came Friday night when the visiting Bountiful Braves escaped with a 69-66 overtime win. Besides watching his ball club fall to 1-6 in region and 3-10 overall, Yerkovich has watched his troops lose four overtime games this season. Against the Braves, Judge fell victim to a three-point basket by reserve Jeff Jeppson with seven seconds left in regulation which began an eight-points-in-10-seconds run carrying into the overtime over-time session. "I have been in this business for 20 years and I've never had this bad stretch of luck. It's sad because the kids are competing," Yerkovich said. "We shouldn't go to Vegas, I know that. We're the unluckiest team." Enter the rabbit's foot Trailing 58-54 with just over one minute to play, Bountiful' s Mason Jacobs, who finished with a team-high team-high 16 points, sank a three-point basket to narrow the margin. However, Judge responded with Tuesday, Jan. 28 BOUNTIFUL (5-2, 7-6) 17161215 9-69 Judge (1-6, 3-10) 14141319 666 BRAVES (69): Jacobs 6 2-3 16. Jones 1 2-2 4, MacKay 2 7-10 12, Beck 3 1-4 8, Harris 1 0-0 2, Jeppson 1 3-4 6, O'Brien 4 0-1 8. Hlbbert 2 1-3 5. Adams 4 0-1 8, Totals 24 16-28 69. BULLDOGS (66): Pino 3 0-2 6. Melmeth 10 5-7 25. Malcom 4 1-2 9. Bapis 2 1-3 6, Reynolds 3 3-3 9, Scales 0 2-2 2. Henderson 2 4-6 9, Totals 24 16-25 66. Three-point goals Bountiful 5 (Jacobs 2, MacKay, Beck, Jeppson), Judge 2 (Bapis. Henderson). 30 seconds remaining when Australian sensation Ben Melmeth, who led all scorers with 25, canned two free throws with 30 seconds remaining to increase the margin to 60-57. Bountiful knotted things up when Jeppson nailed a three-point basket from the right sideline with just seven seconds remaining. "He's a clutch guy," said Bountiful Boun-tiful coach Mike Maxwell. "He's an ace in the hole for us." Judge was unable to answer the shot and the game went into overtime." over-time." In the extra session, Bountiful senior David MacKay took the opening tip and was fouled driving to the basket He made the field goal, was awarded a free throw, and then tha nks to a Judge technical wound shooting and hitting three shots. The incredible five-point play gave the Braves a 65-60 lead with 2:57 left in the overtime. Bountiful never trailed in the extra session en route to its first road win of the season. "Our kids kept their composure. The eight points in 10 seconds was the difference," said Maxwell "I'm relieved we won one on the road, it was a breakthrough." Prior to Tuesday night, the Braves had lost five straight away games. "It's tough on the road. It's a real learning process," Maxwell added. "Hopefully, this is the first of many more wins for us on the road." The Braves led 17-14 after one period of play, 33-28 at halftime, and 45-41 after three periods of play. "I think we defended better and I don't think we rushed things in the second half," said Yerkovich whose team rallied at the end after trailing throughout the majority of the contest. Judge's lone region victory this season came at the expense of the Braves' next opponent, Woods Cross. Bountiful, now 5-2 in region and 7-6 overall, will face the Wildcats tonight at 7. Only time and tonight's game at Woods Cross will determine if Tuesday's road win is truly the start of something new for the upstart Braves. SIT ON IT: Michael Bapis of Judge protects the ball from a trio of interested Bountiful Braves. (Clipper photo by Roger Tut-tle) |