VERSAILLES

Trailing by one, in double overtime, the Seymour boys basketball team needed a clutch basket and a little bit of help.

South Ripley missed three free throws in the final 21 seconds of the game before Tiller Cummings hit the go-ahead layup on an assist by Alan Perry with five ticks on the clock to edge the Raiders 52-51 on Thursday.

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The Owls (7-11) took their first lead at 7:24 in the first quarter at 3-0 on an and-one by Jordan Miller, and Tyler Bloom hit back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the lead to 9-3 by the 5:16 mark.

Despite dominating the paint, outrebounding the Raiders (8-10) 13-4 in the first eight minutes, the Owls only scored two more points.

In the final 2:21 of the first quarter, the Raiders went on a 9-0 run, propelled by a 3 from Avery Halcomb, to go up 16-11.

After exchanging baskets from the first six minutes of the second quarter, the Owls buckled in defensively.

Seymour scored six unanswered points, ending with a 3-pointer by Bloom, to retie the game at 23 at intermission.

Alex Hofer proved a force for the Owls in the paint in the first half, collecting nine rebounds and registering a pair of blocks.

At half, the Owls held a 21-12 rebound margin.

The third quarter’s paced slowed the game.

The Owls would record just seven points but stay within distance, trailing 36-30 after 24 minutes.

Bloom sparked the Owls’ offense in the first minute of the fourth quarter, hitting a 3-pointer, getting a steal on the ensuing possession and converting an and-one to tie the game at 36 with 7:04 left in regulation.

A 6-0 run, led by four points from Perry, put the Owls up with 42-38 at the 5:17 mark.

Trailing 44-42 with 43 seconds on the clock, Miller grabbed an offensive rebound and got a layup to force overtime.

In the first overtime, again down by two, the Owls went back to Miller with 45 seconds on the clock.

Miller got another basket to go to force a second overtime at 48.

Miller got the first score in the second round of extra minutes, and Cummings ended it.

Bloom led the Owls with 21 points on six made 3-pointers, Miller and Cummings each added nine and Perry had eight.

Halcomb and Cory Walker each scored 11 points for the Raiders.

On the boards, the Owls won the rebounding battle 35-26 behind 17 from Hofer and 11 by Cummings.