Journal-News.com

HAMILTON — The distinction

of making the biggest shot of the night lasted just 14 seconds for Badin High School senior Jake Clear.

Reading sophomore Jake Overbeck answered Clear's overtime

3-pointer with one of his own with 42 ticks left in the extra session, lifting the visiting Blue Devils to a 66-62 nonleague basketball victory Tuesday night, Jan. 20.

"We just let them throw it right into the post and kick it out," Badin coach Nick Argentati said of the game-winning play. "We continue to do things wrong defensively that we've talked about all year.

"This is our fourth loss in a row at home," he added. "At some point you just have a little pride in yourself and show up to play at home and compete a little bit."

The Rams (6-6) led Reading (5-6) by as many as nine in the second half, but the Blue Devils started taking better care of the basketball after committing eight first-quarter turnovers. And they got hot from 3-point range, finishing 8-of-16 from beyond the arc.

None of those treys were bigger than the one Overbeck hit in overtime, giving Reading a 64-62 lead and marking the sixth lead change in the extra period.

"That was a quick answer," Reading coach Rich Bensman said. "We had a timeout left, but we just went with how we felt. He came down and he was open and he shot it confidently."

Overbeck scored 13 points and was one of four Blue Devils who finished in double figures. Senior Chris Balser led Reading with 16 points and nine rebounds, and sophomore Matt Brinkman and senior Garrett Edwards each scored 10.

"(Badin) was 6-5 in the (Greater Catholic League), so this is a great win for my kids," Bensman added.

Rams sophomore Colton Mehlman led all scorers with 20 points to go along with a team-high nine rebounds, and junior Scott Purcell added 18 points. But Badin didn't make a single 3-pointer until Scott Staarmann tied the game with one with 1:51 left in overtime.

"We were having success throwing it inside, but then they started guarding the lane a little bit more, and you've got to be able to hit some perimeter shots just to keep people honest," Argentati said. "This is a game we should've won. But we let a nonleague team come into our gym and win. We're just an average team right now that doesn't guard very well."

In addition to hitting 50 percent of its treys, Reading went 16-of-19 from the free-throw line.

Badin made 14-of-19 free throws, but the Rams made just 2-of-8 3-pointers.

And with a rare weekend off facing them, the players will have to wait a week before playing host to St. Xavier on Tuesday.

C

ontact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jmorrison@coxohio.com.