From lowest to highest: 8th-seeded Tiger boys take KANGI title over Nevada

Austin Cook (55) dives in an attempt to recover a loose ball as Nevada's Myles McNeley (32) tries to gain control and Fort Scott's Kaleb DeLaTorre looks to help during the fourth quarter of play Saturday night in Frontenac. The Tigers eventually recovered the ball. Fort Scott and Nevada squared off in the championship game of the Kansas Army National Guard Invitational, which the Tigers won, 60-51, over their Missouri rival. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

FRONTENAC -- Fort Scott High's boys completed their run through the Kansas Army National Guard Invitational by beating second-seeded Nevada, 60-51, in Saturday's championship game here.

The Tigers were seeded eighth, coming into Thursday's game against top-seeded Riverton with just two wins on the season. But five of their six losses had been by four points or less. Basically, five possessions -- maybe six -- were the difference between being 2-6 and maybe having a 6-2 record.

But in this tournament, Fort Scott saw those close games go in their favor, beating Riverton in overtime Thursday, then No. 4 Pacific, Mo., in double overtime Friday, avenging a loss in last season's championship game.

Fort Scott's Devonte Robinson (24) drives on Nevada's Derek O'Dell during the fourth quarter. Robinson scored 16 points and had 9 rebounds in the Tigers' win and was named to the All-Tournament Team along with Kaleb DeLaTorre (3). (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

In each of those games, the Tigers had to come from behind to win. They never led in regulation against Riverton and trailed in both overtime periods versus Pacific.

On Saturday, Fort Scott trailed in the fourth quarter but only for a total of 47 seconds. Marcus Stepps' stickback of a teammate's miss put the Tigers (4-6) ahead 44-43 with 5:43 to go.

Neither side scored again until Austin Cook was fouled with 2:59 to go. He made his first free throw but missed the second. Fort Scott got the rebound and worked it around to Kaleb DeLaTorre, who hit a 3-point shot to make it 48-43 with 2:54 to go.

Later in the period, when Nevada (10-4) had to start fouling to save time, Fort Scott made 9 of 10 free throws in the final 1:10 with DeLaTorre going 6 for 6.

DeLaTorre led the Tigers with 22 points and also had 8 rebounds. Devonte Robinson added 16 points and led with 9 rebounds. Both were named to the All-Tournament team with DeLaTorre named the tourney's Most Valuable Player. He scored 72 points in the tournament, an average of 24 per game.

The Tigers did have some trouble defending Nevada's 6' 5" sophomore post Clay Gayman. He scored 25 points -- but only 4 in the fourth quarter -- and had 11 rebounds. Gayman made 11 of 15 shots from the field, but the rest of the team was only 8 of 32 and had just 11 rebounds. While Matt Sommer did add 19 points to Nevada's total, he was just 5 of 17 from the field. Only three other Nevadans scored and none of them had more than 3 points.

The Tigers dominated the boards, 35-22. In fact, Fort Scott outrebounded Nevada 13-1 in the fourth quarter and that one board came with 20.4 seconds remaining in the game.

Fort Scott came out of the gate hot, scoring 11 of the first 13 points of the game, with four different players scoring. Jesse Jones' 3-pointer with 3 seconds to go made it 14-6 entering the second.

A 7-0 run capped by Austin Cook's basket with 3:57 left extended the leas to 23-8. DeLaTorre hit a triple with 2:17 to go to make it 29-12 before Sommer made consecutive "old-fashioned" 3-point plays to end the half.

Nevada made 7 of 11 from the field in the third to get within 40-36 after three. Sommer gave them their first lead, 41-40, on a pair of free throws with 6:50 left. Derek O'Dell's only basket of the game gave Nevada its second and final lead, 43-42, with 6:11 left.

Fort Scott travels to Coffeyville for a Southeast Kansas League game Friday night.

(8) FORT SCOTT: DeLaTorre 6-13 6-7 22, Southwell 0-0 0-0 0, Hudiburg 2-5 0-0 4, Jones 2-4 0-0 6, Thomas 0-1 1-2 1, Phillips 0-0 0-0 0, Stepps 3-6 0-0 6, Robinson 6-12 3-4 16, Cook 2-3 1-2 5. TOTALS: 21-44 11-15 60.

(3) NEVADA: Sommer 5-17 7-8 19, O'Dell 1-4 0-0 2, Heathman 0-1 0-0 0, McNeley 1-6 0-0 3, Ferry 1-2 0-0 2, Gayman 11-15 1-2 25, Gardner 0-2 0-0 0. TOTALS: 19-47 8-10 51.

Nevada........................ 6 12 18 15 -- 51

Three-point field goals: Fort Scott 7-16 (DeLaTorre 4-10, Jones 2-3, Robinson 1-2, Thomas 0-1), Nevada 5-18 (Gayman 2-3, Sommer 2-7, McNeley 1-5, O'Dell 0-1, Ferry 0-1, Gardner 0-1).

Total fouls: Fort Scott 14, Nevada 15. Fouled out: None.

Rebounds: Fort Scott 35 (Robinson 9), Nevada 22 (Gayman 11). Assists: Fort Scott 10 (Southwell 3), Nevada 3 (Sommer, Gayman, Gardner). Turnovers: Fort Scott 9, Nevada 6. Steals: Fort Scott 2 (Stepps, Robinson), Nevada 1 (Sommer). Blocked shots: Fort Scott 2 (Stepps, Cook), Nevada 6 (Gayman 6).

(2) Nevada 54, (7) Washburn, Mo.-Southwest 33

(8) Fort Scott 49, (1) Riverton 47, OT

(4) Pacific, Mo. 44, (5) Prairie View 39

(3) Wichita Independent 50, (6) Frontenac 44

(1) Riverton 38, (5) Prairie View 28

(8) Fort Scott 56, (4) Pacific, Mo. 54, 2 OT

(6) Frontenac 58, (7) Washburn-Southwest 55

(2) Nevada 57, (3) Wichita Independent 46

(5) Prairie View 47, (7) Washburn-Southwest 38 (7th)

(1) Riverton 63, (6) Frontenac 53, OT (5th)

(4) Pacific, Mo. 65, (3) Wichita Independent 61, OT (3rd)

(8) Fort Scott 60, (2) Nevada 51 (1st)