Showalter, Butler stun Independence, win Southwestern boys’ 4A conference title
Butler fans must have thought it seemed a lot like last week.
Their Bulldogs built a big early lead against rival Independence, then saw the Patriots claw their way back and take the lead.
It was coming down to the final seconds, just like it did last week when Independence won the Southwestern 4A regular-season boys’ title with a last-second, two-point decision at Butler.
“We wanted a different outcome this time,” Butler senior center Tyler Showalter said.
Showalter made it happen.
He tied the game on a 28-foot 3-pointer with 30 seconds left, then made two free throws with one-tenth of a second left, lifting Butler to a 54-52 victory Friday night for the Southwestern 4A tournament championship.
It capped a thrilling night of No. 2 beating No. 1 at Rocky River High, as second seed Independence got past top seed Charlotte Catholic 69-68 in overtime for the girls’ championship.
“We put it in the hands of Tyler, and he delivered like he usually does,” said Butler coach Patrick King, whose team heads into the state playoffs with a 19-8 record.
“This victory is a real boost for us, going into the playoffs,” King said. “It should give us a ton of self-confidence.”
Until the final minute, Friday’s game had an eerie resemblance to last Friday. Butler jumped to an 11-2 lead and was up 13-8 after the first quarter. The Bulldogs built their lead to 41-26 on a Reece Starnes tip-in with 5:20 left in the third period.
Butler was cruising ... until it suddenly wasn’t.
Independence clamped down with the defense, limiting Butler to one shot on most possessions. Meanwhile, the Patriots’ sluggish offense perked up, and Independence outscored Butler 21-3 over a span of nearly eight minutes.
With 6:18 left in the game, the Bulldogs found themselves trailing 47-44.
“Hats off to Independence,” King said. “They play really good defense, and they’re a heck of a team. They really clawed their way back into this game.”
Independence led 50-44 with 4:42 left, but Showalter cut the margin to four points with a short jump shot. He added a free throw with 3:19 left, putting his team down 50-47.
Independence’s Tosh Alberga, who made a winning shot in the final second a week ago, scored on a tip-in with 1:37 left, and the Patriots led 52-47.
Showalter cut that to 52-49 on an 8-footer with 1:14 left, and after an Independence turnover, Showalter brought the ball upcourt. He stopped and launched a long 3-pointer. It was the kind of shot when a fan’s first reaction of “Why did he try that?” turns to “What a shot!”
That made it 52-52 with 37 seconds left.
Independence missed a 3-point attempt, and Butler got the rebound. Showalter got the ball again in the closing seconds and launched another very long 3-pointer. This time he missed, but he was fouled by the Patriots’ Kameron Jasper, who own 3-point shooting was a big reason why Independence had battled back into the lead.
Showalter made two of the three free throws, and the game essentially was over.
He had scored all 10 of Butler’s fourth-quarter points.
“We really wanted to play Independence again, after what happened last week,” Showalter said. “I mean, we were rooting for Independence against East Meck (in the semifinals). We just thought we could win it this time.”
King said, “This was the moment we wanted.”
Three who made a difference
Tyler Showalter, Butler: Showalter, a 6-7 senior, scored 21 points, including all 10 of Butler’s points in the fourth quarter.
Kameron Jasper, Independence: Before fouling out in the final minute, Jasper scored a team-high 15 points. He made three 3-pointers in the third quarter, when his team rallied.
Reece Starnes, Butler: Starnes scored eight hard-earned points and collected seven rebounds.
Just noting
▪ Independence’s Preston Davis was named Southwestern 4A Coach of the Year. He guided the Patriots to a 19-7 regular-season record.
▪ Showalter was named the conference’s Player of the Year and conference tournament Most Valuable Player.
▪ Butler hit 19 of its 40 shots from the floor for 47.5 percent. Independence shot 34.6 percent (18 of 52), but the Patriots won the rebound battle 33-19.
