Link: http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2007/12/07/sports_semipro/hjjcihjcjiifec.txt

The ending might have been the most dramatic a 27-point basketball blowout could be.

A big defensive play, a clutch off-balance shot and a goal-tending call decided the last point in Butte’s 114-87 victory over winless Rio Grande Valley Thursday night at the Civic Center.

The last point was important, too, because it gave the Daredevils a 33-32 fourth-quarter edge over Rio Grande Valley, and a 7-0 sweep of the night’s quarter points. The quarter points determine Continental Basketball Association standings and, at season’s end, playoffs qualifications.

So, with Butte’s first sweep of the season within sight, but needing some amazing play at the end for it to happen, the fans stayed in the arena. A sizeable contingent from Anaconda made up part of the 922-person attendance. The Anaconda High School cheerleaders, band, dance team and drumline all entertained at the game on “Anaconda Night,” and brought their supporters with them, too.

The game itself was plenty entertaining, too, with 13 shot blocks and 201 points, including a batch of dunks. The 114 points for the Daredevils broke the team’s previous high of the season set at 113 in a win over the Silverados the previous night.

The goal-tending call against Rio Grande Valley’s Demorris Smith ended the game. Butte led the game, 109-87, but trailed the Silverados by four points in the fourth-quarter scoring with only 10 seconds left to go.

The Daredevils’ Benson Callier drew a foul from Trent Eager and sank two free throws with five seconds left.

Marcus Jefferson then blocked See DAREDEVILS, Page B6 a shot by Rio Grande Valley’s Cedric Smith and Callier grabbed the loose ball. He called timeout with 2.8 seconds on the clock.

Butte called a timeout. Head coach Pat O’Herron drew up a play.

Jefferson inbounded to Martane Freeman, who was barely out in front of his defender running on the backside. Freeman took the pass and cast off a contested shot from past the 3-point arc as he was falling to the court.

It looked on line, said the players and O’Herron. However, Demorris Smith sprang in front of the basket and swatted away.

Official Shannon Bone stood out in front of the basket at the top of the key as time stood still.

He signaled goal-tending. Butte had the sweep.

“I was having an off shooting night, but I’m not afraid to take a shot,” Freeman said. “Tonight, the last play was actually drawn up for Jibril (Hodges). But I knew that if I could make the cut (and lose his defender) and the ball came to me, I was going to shoot. I outhustled my man.

“I shot and it looked pretty good. And then I saw (Smith) grabbing it in the air. I looked at the ref and he was deciding the call.” Freeman, a 6-foot-7 forward out of Colorado, fell to the floor as he released the shot. He said he didn’t know goal-tending was ruled until he had “popcorn and Coke” in his hair.

O’Herron said the play punctuated the never-give-up attitude he and assistant coach John Williams are trying to instill in the young team.

The win was the Daredevils’ fourth in a row and put their season record at 6-5.

“We went for the win and we very fortunate it worked out,” O’Herron said. “Getting over .500 was our goal.” The Butte defensive effort was strong, limiting the athletic and tall Silverados to 16 points in the first quarter and 14 in the second as the Daredevils zoomed out to a 48-30 halftime command.

“I was happy with our defense in the first half holding a team down to 30 points,” the coach said. “And 24 points in the third was really good defense. But the fourth quarter, we were trying to outdo each other and we lost some focus.” Butte’s offensive balance showed again as Jefferson led the team in scoring with 23 points, Callier had 21, Jason Miller 16, Freeman 15, Blake Sholberg a season-high 14 and Hodges 12. Miller also had 14 rebounds and Jefferson 11.

The Silverados were led by Rod Neeley with 18 poihts, Tim Pledger and Cedric Smith with 14 each and Eager with 11.

O’Herron agreed the last second was an exciting end.

“We were lucky the ref stayed on the play,” he said. “Some would’ve watched the bodies in case of fouls. He was out in front of the basket at the 3-point line. He was in position to make that call and that’s all a coach can ask — for the refs to be in position to make their calls.” The Daredevils now go to Atlanta for a two-game set with the Krunk, Dec. 9-10, then to Great Falls for a Dec. 12 contest against the Explorers. Butte’s next home game is slated for Dec. 14 against the Yakama Sun Kings.

Aaron Cook and Lionel Davis sat out for the Daredevils Thursday night, serving CBA-mandated suspensions resulting from their fight with East Kentucky last week. Davis will finish his four-game sit-down Dec. 12, and Hodges will also be idle that night. Jefferson and Sholberg will serve suspensions the next night. Sir Valiant Brown returned to the Butte lineup Thursday night after serving his two-game penalty.

RIO GRANDE VALLEY (0-10) Rod Neeley 7-13 3-4 18, Colin Lien 4-7 0-0 8, Johnny Tyson 2-7 3-3 7, Renaldo Norman 0-2 1-4 1, Mike Dean 1-14 4-6 6, Tim Pledger 3-6 6-6 14, Trent Eager 4-5 1-1 11, Demorris Smith 4-10 0-0 8, Cedric Smith 4-7 6-7 14. Totals 29-71 24-31 87.

BUTTE (6-5) Marcus Jefferson 9-14 5-6 23, Benson Callier 5-11 8-11 21, Jason Miller 8-15 0-0 14, Blake Sholberg 5-6 4-6 14, Jibril Hodges 5-10 1-2 12, Tim Taylor 2-3 0-0 4, Martane Freeman 6-18 1-5 15, Sir Valiant Brown 4-7 1-2 9. Totals 44-84 20-32 114.

Rio Grande Valley 16 14 25 32 — 87 Butte 22 26 33 33 — 114 Quarter points — Butte 7, Rio Grande Valley 0. 3-point goals — RGV 5-18 (Neeley 1-4, Norman 0-1, Dean 0-4, Pledger 2-5, Eager 2-3, C. Smith 0-1), Butte 6-16 (Callier 3-4, Miller 0-1, Hodges 1-3, Freeman 2-5, Brown 0-3). Total fouls — RGV 14, Butte 14. Technicals — Lien, Callier, Sholberg, Miller. Rebounds — RGV 40 (Lien 13), Butte 55 (Miller 14, Jefferson 11). Blocks — RGV 7 (D. Smith 3), Butte 6 (Freeman 3). Assists — RGV 12 (Pledger 5), Butte 17 (Hodges 7). Steals — RGV 6 (Lien 2), Butte 6 (Jefferson 3). Turnovers — RGV 26, Butte 17. A — 922.