Platte County erases double-digit deficit, nearly ends skid in encouraging late effort

Platte County came so close to flipping the script on the recurring theme of this season, and the vibes were noticeably different after the initial disappointment subsided.

Truman held on for a 55-53 win in Suburban Conference White Division play Friday night at Pirate Fieldhouse but not until the Pirates fully erased an 11-point deficit going into the fourth quarter. The Patriots never trailed in the second half despite some nervy moments in the closing stretch, which included a turnover with 12.2 seconds left in regulation.

Platte County senior point guard Jayden Martin went to the basket for a contested layup. The game’s final shot bounced off the rim, and Truman secured the rebound to run out the clock.

“Getting better — slowly, slowly,” Platte County coach Rick Hodge said. “We’ve struggled putting 32 minutes together, and I’ve told them that. Early in December, we were putting a half together and then we’d fall apart. Then we were going three quarters and fall apart. I kept telling them we’ve got to string together 32 minutes. Tonight, we strung together the 32 minutes and had a shot at the horn that didn’t go our way, but it will next time.”

Platte County dropped to 2-7 on the season with the current losing skid hitting six straight. The Pirates have repeatedly hung around in game during this stretch but generally faltered late while trying to piece together lineups after juniors Jordy Moore and Jude Brown were brought on board in the middle of December after helping the football team win a second straight state title.

Moore matched a career-high with 16 points and helped Platte County to multiple first half leads, while Martin scored 10 of his 14 in the fourth quarter to lead the charge back after Platte County’s offense hit a lull early in the third quarter.

Truman led 47-36 going into the fourth but only scored eight points the rest of the way.

“We made an adjustment as far as picking up tempo on defense,” Hodge said. “It’s hard to pick up tempo against them because they’ll rip and go and get to the rim. We missed some assignments on the defensive end on help and rotation, but picking up the defense made a difference.”

The lone returning starter, Martin opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer and a three-point play, and junior Jacoby Keith’s fourth and final 3, which accounted for all 12 of his points, closed Platte County’s deficit to 49-45 with just under 5 minutes left in regulation.

Truman tried to spread the court on offense and run time before using athletic players to drive to the basket.

However, Keith’s 3 started a 7-0 run, and Moore’s first basket of the second half and a driving layup for Martin created the first of two late ties for Platte County at 49-49. The Pirates then drew level again on junior Elijah Hockaday, the only other returner from last season besides Moore with significant varsity, experience on a drive down the right baseline for a layup with 2:20 left in regulation.

“When you look at how many players we’re replacing from last year, getting a late start from football, we’re getting better, but it is slowly,” Hodge said. “I’m seeing better execution on the offensive end, but more than anything, I’m seeing a lot of fight, hustle and togetherness that is good to see as a coach with what our record is. They’re fighting and staying together as a team.”

Truman’s key sequence came with an immediate answer, and junior Terrell Parker immediately pressured Martin into a turnover in the backcourt. Parker, one of three players for the Patriots in double-figure scoring, went in for an uncontested layup to put the lead to 55-51 with just over a minute on the clock.

Martin scored Platte County’s final two points on a pair of free throws with 56.6 seconds left in regulation. The Pirates were then forced to commit fouls to try and put the Patriots in the bonus and hope for misses at the line.

Instead, Platte County committed three fouls before Truman threw the ball away in the front court and give away possession to the Pirates. Martin went to the basket with options but put a shot up on the rim that didn’t go down and continued the recent frustrations.

“He’s a great leader. I don’t think I’ve had a leader in this program in a long time like he is,” Hodge said. “He understands he has a lot of inexperienced kids around him that weren’t getting varsity minutes, and he’s done a really good job of helping them, pointing them in the right direction. He’s a tremendous leader. The ball was in his hands at the end of the game, and that’s where we wanted it to go. I have no problem with the shot.

“Yeah, I wish it would have went in for the kid because he deserved it.”

Truman opened the game by hitting the first of eight 3-pointers and led 5-0 early.

However, Keith’s first 3 kickstarted a 10-0 run for Platte County that he capped with another. That became part of a chaotic start with Truman hitting a triple only for Moore to answer with his first to put the Pirates up 13-9.

Truman drew level at 13-13 and then took the lead back at 16-14 before trailing 20-19 going into the second quarter. With five 3s total in the first half, the Patriots continued to apply pressure, and Moore’s career night included all eight of Platte County’s points in the second quarter. His third triple put the Pirates up 28-24 before the game went into halftime level at 28-28.

“We hit shots. We were sticking some shots early in the game that gave us confidence,” Hodge said. “We’ve had games where we don’t hit shots, and the kids drop their heads and think we can’t score. Jordan Moore hit a lot of those. I saw that from him in the summer, and so I’ve kept trying to pull it out of him and he’s coming around.”

Truman’s run eventually hit 11 unanswered and resulted in a 35-28 lead.

Brown snapped Platte County out of the slump with a driving layup but missed the free throw on a potential three-point play. Then the biggest moment for the Pirates came when Keith went to the line for three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt but missed all of them.

However, Platte County came up with an offensive rebound, and Keith drilled a 3 from the left wing to pull the Pirates back within 37-33.

“He’s a confident shooter,” Hodge said.

Platte County then started to struggle with turnovers and put up just eight points total in the third quarter — four of Brown’s six plus one free throw for junior starting guard Isaac Nelson. The Pirates continued to work through rotations with Moore now starting and Hockaday, who scored six points, coming off the bench as an impact scorer.

Continuing to test the inexperience, Platte County again used 10 players total with junior Brock Dye starting at forward, and junior Andrew Parrish and sophomore MaCallen McMillian providing depth in the backcourt and senior Bryton Bertram continuing to come off the bench for limited minutes in the post.

Martin, Moore, Keith, Nelson and Dye also started for Platte County a week earlier in a 74-50 conference loss to Ruskin. Moore put up 16 against the Eagles, as well, while Martin added 11 and Keith nine on three 3s.

Ruskin jumped to a big lead, but a balanced effort helped Platte County close the gap. The Pirates were down seven going to the fourth quarter but couldn’t sustain the offensive momentum.

In the final eight minutes, Ruskin hit 12 shots from the field, including four of seven total 3-pointers.

McMillian added five points and Bertram four for Platte County, which dropped to 0-5 in conference play. The Pirates’ two wins both came in the season-opening Savannah Invitational.