MANHATTAN – Medicine Lodge converted on a pair of free throws with a little more than 21 seconds left in the game as they knock off the TMP-Marian Monarchs 48-46 in the 2A third place game at the state tournament in Manhattan at Bramlage Colliseum.
Harrison Lowe gave the Monarchs (22-4) an early 3-0 lead, in his third start of the season, on a game-opening three-pointer.
Two different times in the first quarter the Monarchs were able to take a four-point lead, the first time at 8-4 and then again at 10-6 but Medicine Lodge answered with a 15-4 run to end the first quarter and open the second quarter for a 21-14 lead.
TMP found themselves down by as many as eight in the second quarter, at 28-20, but closed within four at halftime at 28-24 and extended the 17-4 run out of the break, into the third quarter for a 37-32 third quarter lead early in the second quarter.
During that stretch Dylan Werth scored nine of his game-high 20 points and Luke Rome added five points of his own for TMP.
But the Indians (19-7) scored five straight to end the third quarter, tying the game at 37 heading into the final frame.
The two teams traded the lead back and forth in the fourth quarter and with just over a minute and a half left in the game, TMP held on to a 46-45 lead after a pair of Werth free throws.
Medicine Lodge closed out the game, scoring the five points over the final minute and 15 seconds, including the two free throws that proved to be the game winners in the 48-46 victory.
Werth led all scorers with 20 points and eight rebounds. Werth scored in double-figures in all three tournament games and 25-of-26 games this season. Rome added 11 points and six rebounds. Rome scored in double-figures in two of the three tournament games.
The fourth-place finish marksTMP's fifth top four finish over the last six years.