Sizzling start ignites Bison boys' playoff win

OGALLALA, Neb. -- McCook brought the perfect playoff formula to Sidney on Saturday: start on fire and finish like your hair might spontaneously ignite if you don't get a win.

"They didn't want it (the season) to end," Bison coach Jeremy Yilk said about his team's 63-57 win over Sidney in this B-6 district play-in game.

McCook (11-12 record) rained threes like many hoped moisture would hit southwest Nebraska.

The No. 5-seed Bison matched that number before one quarter was finished while building a 22-13 lead.

Even better was how the "shower" sprayed from all directions:

-- Splash! Senior Easton Gillen made it 3-0.

-- Woo, that's warm! Junior Hunter Potthoff gave McCook a 9-7 lead.

-- Bison steam's taking over! Junior Clayton Stevens sizzled a corner triple for the 17-13 advantage.

-- We should be playing in Vegas! Junior Zach Schlager's bank-shot three showed everything was going McCook's way while leading 20-13.

Potthoff would hit another triple just seconds into the second quarter as McCook was on an almost 100-point scoring pace at 25-13.

"We couldn't have asked for a better start," Yilk confirmed during his post-game radio interview.

Nobody had turned the dial to cold because another Pothoff splash! kept the 12-point Bison lead into quarter three.

However, those determined No. 4-seed Red Raiders were turning up their own water pressure.They suddenly started raining in shots and washing away McCook's comfortable lead.

Sidney closed within seven through three quarters, then Jay Doty's three made it 55-51 with still nearly three minutes to play.

The pressure would only get worse for McCook fans.

Even after a Schlager free throw, Doty promptly drained another trifecta -- and Sidney suddenly led 57-56.

All this effort only set up a final 7-0 Bison victory-clinching surge.

"It got a little sketchy there at the end," Yilk admitted. "But we came right back."

Indeed. Potthoff made a layup before Sidney fans could even soak in the brief Raider lead.

Junior Gabe Sehnert then picked a perfect time for his one basket and McCook led again 60-57.

More than a minute remained on the game clock, but no amount of time would give the Red Raiders more hope.

Stevens -- who's shot better than 70 percent from the foul line all season -- hit three of his final four attempts (75 percent) to finish McCook's 63-57 win.

While outside shots tend to dominate Bison stories this season, Yilk reserved some praisde for his team's inside play.

Junior reserve DJ Gross grabbed six rebounds against Sidney's tall front line to go with his four points.

"We gave up such a difference in height but our guys held their own in there," Yilk observed.

Now McCook faces an even larger challenge against top district seed and Class B No. 3 Scottsbluff.

Tonight's tip is 6 p.m. central time, 5 p.m. muntain in Ogallala.

Scottsbluff bounced the Bison, 68-49, during East-West Showdown competition earlier this month.

"If we can play with the kind of energy and urgency we did today, we'll have a shot," the coach concluded. "We've seen them before and know what to expect. It's just the next step for us."

Bison leaders from Saturday's big win:

McCook (63) -- Hunter Potthoff 23 points, Easton Gillen 12, Zach Schlager 8, Clayton Stevens 6, Josiah Hegwood 5, DJ Gross 4, Kyle Geisler 3, Gabe Sehnert 2. Three-pointers: Potthoff 3, Gillen 2, Schlager, Stevens. Rebound leaders: Gross 6, Schlager 5, Gillen 5. Assists: Gillen 5.