Advosports

SAN ANTONIO - If you had asked him immediately after the game how many overtimes he had played, Tyler Friedel wouldn't have had an answer for you.

He was that wrapped up in the moment.

"I was just so focused, it's hard to take everything in at the spur of the moment," said the senior forward.

Intensity and focus had been something the Victoria East boys had talked about often throughout the course of the season, through all the ups and downs, highs and lows.

But the Titans just ran out of gas short of the finish line, which ended up being three overtimes beyond the end of regulation.

Down 12 at one point in the fourth quarter and given up on, the Titans came roaring back with a late rally to tie Boerne Champion. What ensued was a free-for-all for three long overtime periods until the Titans, down six key players because of fouls, fell in the regional semifinals 86-77.

Boerne Champion was the Titans toughest opponent of the playoffs, Friedel said, and Friday's game was a chance to show everyone what they were made of.

"All year, we've been talking about playing with heart," he said. "This was when we really showed, down by that much in the fourth quarter and coming back and forcing the game to three overtimes.

"The game was in our hands, we had multiple chances to take it, but it wasn't meant to be."

Friedel led all scorers with 31 points. Braden Williams added 19 for the Titans, who finish the season 27-9.

Titans coach John Grammer said he barely remembers the comeback in the fourth quarter. Rather, he remembers the roller coaster of emotions that came in the following 12 minutes of play, as the score teeter-tottered back and forth as the Titans and Champion guard Madison Turner traded baskets.

"So many things happened after that," he said. "It was an epic battle, our guys showed a lot of character to comeback. It's just disappointing that we did all the things we needed to do."

East made a comeback earlier in the game, going on a 9-2 run midway through the third quarter to close an eight point lead to just one, but the Chargers were able to turn guard Turner for a boost and Tripp Melcher for a timely 3-pointer at the end of the quarter.

Turner was a particular thorn in the Titans side. He did most of his damage during the overtime periods, scoring 15 of his 27 points in the three extra frames.

For three quarters, Turner wasn't much of a factor, with just eight points and none in the third quarter. But the senior guard turned up his game as East rallied back, hitting a 3-pointer late to give Champion a chance to win.

"We knew we had to shut down (Turner)," Friedel said. "He was making incredible shots, so you can't really do much."

But also making important contributions for Champion was Dallas Quick, the team's second leading scorer.

"He's just a big body," Friedel said. "We hadn't really seen a post that big other than (Isaac) Cardona. He was pretty good, he could push us around."

Grammer said the Titans knew they had to pay attention to the 6-foot-6 senior in the paint, and that he was going to be a factor in their offensive strategy. The goal was to work him, with some success, and get him out of the game.

"We knew Quick was their second leading scorer, we didn't do a good job on him early," Grammer said. "Fortunately, he got into foul trouble and fouled out early. This was a game of attrition, too bad we couldn't get Turner to foul out."

Quick finished with 14 points.

The Titans had four players fouled out by the third overtime, and the final nail proved to be when Dav'Vin Hill and Friedel fouled out during the period. It opened the floor up to Turner, who lingered with four fouls and continued to score.

The Titans had several chances to come away with a win.

The first, with East down one point, Quick fouled out, and a technical followed. The Titans got four uncontested free throws with a shot at taking the lead.

Hill would hit one of two. Friedel would miss both. Hill would put in a layup to give the Titans a one-point lead.

"It was back and forth, some people were making free throws, some weren't," Friedel said. "I missed a couple, but then you make a couple. I'm not going to lie, it was a lot of pressure and my legs were shaking on the line. It's a big time playoff game, but missing free throws was kind of what cost us."

Then, with two seconds left, the Chargers attempted to give the game back. They took a 1-point lead on a Turner 3-pointer, but followed it with the unthinkable: a foul on the motion before the inbounds pass. It gave Ian Sharpless a chance to get the lead at the line.

As was the case for much of the night, East got no freebies from the charity stripe. Sharpless hit one of two to force the first overtime. Sharpless finished with 11 points.

"That kind of turned out to be our Achille's heel," Grammer said. "Several times, if we'd just made one more free throw. Throughout the game, one more free throw and we wouldn't have had to go to three overtimes."

The Titans were just 19-for-36 from the free throw line. Champion wasn't much better, missing several key free throws down the stretch to let the Titans back into the game. The Chargers finished 32-for-50 from the free throw line.

Their next chance was taken from them. A combination of plays that finished with Brandon White hitting two free throws left the Titans up 73-70 with seconds remaining. But, like he had done in the fourth, Madison Turner intervened, hitting a 3-pointer with time expiring to tie it back up and force a third overtime.

The shot still baffles Friedel.

"I don't know how that found the bottom of the net," he shrugged.

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