Third year sophomore Marcus Cole clutched up in both the closing seconds of regulation and in the second overtime with a hot hand as Bellevue, in a near must-win situation to keep their playoff hopes alive, staved off visiting Peninsula in a thrilling 91-88 win in double overtime.
In a tight battle for the entire game, Peninsula jumped ahead to a slim 40-38 at halftime lead before Bellevue bested the Pirates 38-36 in the second half. The heroics late in the half were the highlight of the evening as the ‘dogs drained the long ball when they needed to the most as they sank three three-pointers in the final minute to send the game into overtime. Down 72-67, Jamison Carlisle hit one from beyond the arc to cut Peninsula’s lead to two at 72-70. After a bucket by Peninsula’s Javon Ervin, Marcus Cole nailed a three ball with nine seconds left making it 74-73. An intentional foul put Peninsula to the line in which they made both free throws, setting up the stage for Cole again as he made another three-pointer to send the game to overtime.
Both teams went cold in the latter half of overtime as the two squads scored only five points each. The ‘dog missed all five of their attempts in the final two minutes but survived as Peninsula missed their final two shots down the stretch, leading to the second overtime.
With 27 seconds left, Cole drained a pair of free throws, which proved to be the game-winning points, to put BC up 89-86. The teams traded a pair of free throws each down the stretch resulting in the final 91-88 score. Cole had 24 points on the night and was six-for-10 from the field and was nine-for-14 from the free throw line.
Bellevue is now 4-6 in North Region play (15-10 overall) and will travel to play Whatcom Sat. Feb. 17. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
Last Updated February 14, 2024
