Platte County survives late scare to score upset of No. 8-ranked Winnetonka

Judah Vignery knew the free throws would go down, but he also knew the possibility for repeat heartbreak against Winnetonka.

With just 6.1 seconds left in regulation, Platte County’s senior star knocked down two from the line — the first to tie the score and second after a timeout to take the lead — and the Pirates survived a pair of shots to escape with a 64-63 upset victory Thursday night at Pirate Fieldhouse. Winnetonka (14-2), which entered ranked No. 8 in the most recent Missouri Basketball Coaches Association poll, went the length of the court on the final possession with senior guard Dekyreone Coleman unable to convert a contested baseline floater. Griffins senior forward Dionte Harris III grabbed a contested rebound, and his tip-in attempt went off the middle of the backboard and the front of the rim before falling out.

In the matchup between the teams a year earlier, officials bungled the clock in the closing seconds with Winnetonka senior Ryan Barnhart draining a 3-pointer from beyond half court at the buzzer in a one-point win.

“I was like I’m going to knock these down in the clutch, so I knew we were going to get the lead at least and have a change to get the win,” said Vignery, who finished with a game-high 24 points. “From last year, I was just thinking this could be a repeat, and I was like we can not have this happen again. It was a little nerve-racking.”

Platte County (9-6) built a double-digit lead only to fall behind in the final minute of a high-scoring fourth quarter that featured 48 total points. Just moments earlier, Vignery went down hard on his tailbone and required attention from the trainers. He spent the opening seconds of the fourth quarter on the bench but reentered with senior point guard Connor Currence at the free throw line.

Currence hit 1 of 2 for his only point, but an offensive rebound led to a Vignery 3-pointer for a four-point possession and a 47-36 Platte County lead. The Pirates were up 49-38 moments later when Winnetonka coach Kirk Stegeman, a Platte County graduate, received a technical foul while asking the officials about the lack of a call.

Vignery hit two free throws, and on the resulting possession for Platte County, junior reserve guard Anthony Morrison knocked in a 3-pointer from the right wing to push the advantage to 16 points.

“Anthony’s really been good off the bench, just been that energy guy,” Vignery said of Morrison, who scored all 15 of his points in the second half. “He comes in and hits shots.”

Winnetonka entered having won five straight since a 13-point loss to state-ranked defending Class 6 state champion Staley and fired back with a 13-1 run that included two of the Griffins’ eight 3-pointers.

Eventually, Platte County’s cushion dwindled to 56-54 on another 3-pointer from sophomore Antonio Fowler, who finished with 17 points. Morrison answered with a triple from the right corner at the 2:28 mark, the first field goal for Platte County since his previous 3 pushed the lead to a game-best 16.

“Two things that happened during that run which was we stopped finishing, whether it was buckets around the rim that we had point blank or free throws, and that’s when they got hot from behind the arc,” Platte County coach Rick Hodge said. “There was a couple of times where the kids come to the bench frustrated because they do what they ask them to do defensively and they’re still hitting shots. I said, ‘Relax. That’s going to happen.'”

“A lot of that was the poise. Yes, they made a run and cut that lead down, and I think it was those two factors.”

Winnetonka eventually tied the score at 60-60 on a pair of free throws from Coleman with 52.8 seconds left in regulation, starting what became a final-minute back-and-forth with Vignery to decide the outcome.

Vignery capped Platte County’s next possession with a tough fadeaway jumper from the left baseline, only for Coleman to drill a right wing 3-pointer with 12.1 seconds on the clock. Currence pushed the ball up the court for the Pirates and quickly outletted to Vignery, who went up for an awkward one-handed shot from the left baseline and drew a shooting foul.

After Vignery hit both, Hodge opted for a timeout to set the defense.

Winnetonka went back to Coleman, who finished with a team-high 20 points, for a coast-to-coast opportunity. Currence picked him up and provided the on-ball defense, and Vignery denied a potential kickout to Fowler for a corner 3.

Harris’ putback attempt hit the backboard as the buzzer sounded, and the next few moments were tense before Platte County celebrated a second straight win.

“It was really just relief because we had a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter,” Vignery said. “We kind of let it go, so they really had a chance so I was just relieved when they missed.”

Platte County survived a slow start thanks to Winnetonka’s struggles at the free throw line and a flurry of offense late in the second quarter from junior forward Jaden Peterson. The Griffins trailed twice in the opening minutes but took a 10-4 lead with two 3-pointers in a quick 8-0 run.

A free throw from Platte County junior reserve forward Archie Wesley, who finished with two points, broke a scoreless stretch and sophomore reserve point guard Jayden Martin provided a spark with a 3-pointer to close the gap to 10-8. Winnetonka went just 1-for-6 on free throws in the first quarter but still managed to build an 11-point lead in the second quarter.

However, Platte County changed the course of the game when Vignery knocked down a 3-pointer with 2:42 left in the first half to pull the Pirates within 21-15. Peterson then hit 3s on consecutive possessions in the final minute and a half from an identical spot at the top of the key to cut the deficit to 23-21 with 37 seconds left in the second quarter, and senior guard Brady Wetzel 3-point try at the buzzer that would have put them ahead at the break rimmed out.

Peterson had 10 of his 17 points in the first half with Vignery limited to just seven while facing a determined ball-denial defense and frequent double teams.

“It’s to be expected. They’re always going to face guard and do stuff like that,” Vignery said. “So it was a little frustrating, but I knew if I just trusted my teammates — Jaden had it going so we were only down two at half so I knew I’d get mine eventually.”

In need of a spark at different times, Hodge ended up using 11 players, including senior guard Isaac Dittrick, senior forward Jacob Isaacson, junior forward Hayden Schultz and sophomore Brennan McLaughlin. Only three of the starters scored — Vignery, Peterson and Currence — while the bench combined for 24 with McLaughlin converting a layup during the early fourth quarter run.

Platte County’s high-scoring trio helped fully engage the comeback.

Peterson converted a pair of three-point plays early in the third quarter, the first starting with a tough shot while falling to the floor to put the Pirates back ahead for the first time since the early portion of the first quarter. Fowler answered with a 3-pointer, and Winnetonka went up 30-25 at one point for its largest advantage of the second half.

At that point, Peterson hit his final shot from the floor on the second three-point play, and Fowler missed the free throw on his own three-point play opportunity at the other end.

Morrison answered with five quick points, including the first of his three 3-pointers. He ended up with seven in the third quarter, and Vignery started rolling late in the frame, hitting his second triple to extend Platte County’s lead to 40-34. He also went 5 of 6 at the line in the third quarter, the final two coming with 6.9 seconds on the clock after Harris accidentally undercut him on a hard drive to the hoop for a layup attempt.

Initially down on the floor in pain, Vignery recovered during a timeout and hit those two free throws to send Platte County into the fourth quarter up 43-36.

“It was just a hard fall, awkward fall — just hit the hip a little hard,” Vignery said. “I knew I was going to be OK. I just needed a little breather. I knew I was alright.”

Platte County then survived the turbulence of the fourth quarter for another critical win, two days after outlasting Grain Valley in a road Suburban Conference White Division matchup. The Pirates entered the week off of back-to-back losses to rivals Smithville and Kearney in Kearney’s Bulldog Classic.

At that point teetering around .500 again, Platte County now goes into Grain Valley’s Sonic Showdown having already surpassed the win total from last season’s 8-18 campaign — despite returning only one starter (Vignery) and one other player with significant varsity experience (Currence).

“The kids have confidence. I don’t think they’re lacking in that,” Hodge said. “The thing that is helping this team a lot is they are buying in — not only what we’re talking about to them offensively and defensively but team first. Everything is team first, five is one, and they’re accepting roles.”

Vignery continues to be the driving force to the success, currently averaging 23.4 points and more than six rebounds per game in one of the best individual seasons in program history at this point.

“He’s very tough. He’s a difficult guard for our opponents,” Hodge said. “He’s very good as far as being positive with teammates, helping them as a leader.”

Platte County 57, Grain Valley 50

Vignery poured in a team-high 28 points Tuesday at Grain Valley High School to improve the Pirates to 3-1 in conference play.

Platte County held Grain Valley to just 17 first-half points and just 15 total shots made from the floor. Vignery and Peterson (12 points) drove the offense, while Dittrick and Morrison each hit a 3-pointer during a fast start for the Pirates, who led 18-7 after the first quarter.

Vignery added two 3-pointers in the opening frame then two more in the third quarter. He totaled 18 points in the second half while Currence (four points), Morrison (four points) and Dittrick (five points) combined to go 5 of 6 on free throws in the fourth quarter to help preserve the lead. Schultz also scored four points for the Pirates with a basket in each half.

Platte County now sits tied for first place in the White Division standings behind Raytown, which handed the Pirates their only loss so far.