Travis Kriens/KORN News Radio Sports Director
MITCHELL — The first high school basketball game ever played in the new Mitchell High School gym could not have been scripted any better.
Owen Raml buried a jumper at the top of the key as time expired in overtime, lifting the Mitchell Kernels to a dramatic 69-68 boys basketball win over Harrisburg on Tuesday night in front of a packed and roaring crowd.
Mitchell erased a 17-point second-half deficit and closed regulation on a stunning 14-2 run before completing the comeback in overtime, handing the Tigers their first loss to the Kernels in more than four seasons under head coach Ryker Kreutzfeldt.
“This is what high school sports is,” Kreutzfeldt said. “Playing at your school in front of a packed gym. The environment was unbelievable. You couldn’t script it any better.”
Harrisburg appeared firmly in control early, riding a scorching first-half shooting performance to a 38-26 halftime lead. The Tigers connected on 11 of 14 three-pointers in the opening half and pushed their advantage to as many as 17 points midway through the third quarter.
Bennett Jensen led Harrisburg with 23 points, knocking down 5 of 7 shots from beyond the arc, while Stellen Larson added 13 points and 12 rebounds. But after the hot start, the Tigers cooled off dramatically, hitting just 3 of 14 three-point attempts the rest of the way.
Mitchell still trailed 55-42 with 1:12 remaining in regulation and 56-44 with just over a minute left when the comeback began in earnest.
Carter McCormick ignited the rally by drilling a left-corner three-pointer with 1:01 to play and drawing a foul. He converted the free throw to complete a four-point play, cutting the deficit to 56-48. After Harrisburg missed two free throws on the other end, Raml finished a three-point play to make it 56-51 with 52 seconds remaining to cap a breathtaking 7-0 Mitchell run in just nine seconds
The Kernels weren’t finished.
Following a Colton Smith layup and a forced Harrisburg turnover, McCormick struck again, burying another three-pointer with 15 seconds left. Mitchell outscored Harrisburg 12-1 over a 47-second stretch to completely flip the momentum.
Cole Kooiker hit one of two free throws for Harrisburg to give the Tigers a 58-56 lead with 13.8 seconds left, but Smith found Owen Schelske underneath for the tying layup with two seconds remaining, sending the game to overtime knotted at 58.
In the extra period, Harrisburg led by four with 1:35 remaining before Raml stepped up again, knocking down a three-pointer with 58 seconds left to cut the deficit to one. After Harrisburg’s David Doe missed two free throws with 6.8 seconds remaining, Raml secured the rebound and calmly hit the game-winning jumper as the horn sounded.
“We knew he could be a quality player because of his confidence,” Kreutzfeldt said of Raml. “He’s not scared of anything. There’s no fear. That’s the guy you wanted to have it, and he made a big-time shot.”
Raml finished with a game-high 25 points, including 4 of 9 from three-point range. Smith added 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Schelske provided a spark off the bench with 13 points and 12 rebounds in 27 minutes.
McCormick’s late heroics didn’t go unnoticed.
“I’m telling those bench guys, you are going to be important,” Kreutzfeldt said. “There’s going to be games for each of you where you are the difference, and McCormick was the difference tonight.”
Mitchell dominated the glass, out rebounding Harrisburg 46-29, including 17 offensive rebounds. The Kernels were 9 of 17 from the free-throw line, while Harrisburg struggled at the stripe, going just 10 of 24.
Harrisburg finished 14 of 28 from three-point range, while Mitchell went 6 of 21.
“I’ve never been a part of or seen a game like that,” Kreutzfeldt said. “It’s unbelievable.”
The win improves Mitchell to 3-2 on the season, while Harrisburg falls to 3-2. The Kernels remain at home Friday, hosting Yankton as part of a doubleheader, with the girls game set for 6 p.m. followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m.