By MATT PIKE

Lincoln Goodwin’s shot went up and clanged off the back rim as the buzzer sounded, ending the MSHSAA Class 4 semifinal matchup in heartbreaking fashion for the Benton Cardinal boys basketball team as the Cardinals fell to Clayton 54-52.  

Goodwin laid heartbroken on the court as the Greyhounds celebrated the programs first ever trip to a championship game after the back and forth affair between the two teams, which Benton head coach Jared Boone predicted it would be days earlier, ended in the loss for the Cardinals.  Goodwin led all scorers in the game with 28 points.  

The first quarter itself featured four lead changes.  Benton taking a quick lead on free throws from Goodwin, before Clayton tied the game and then later took the lead on a three point shot.  The Cardinals cut that lead to one in the quarter, soon taking the lead back on a shot from Goodwin and after the Greyhounds tied the game again, took the lead back once more on a jumper from Zaidyn Woodward.   After Clayton took a one point lead back on a three point shot, a layup from Jamarion Warner with 33 seconds left in the frame gave the Cardinals a 10-9 lead at the end of the first.

The Cardinals held the lead all throughout the second quarter, getting their lead up to as many as eight points.  A layup from Goodwin with four minutes remaining made the game 21-13, but Clayton continued to cut into that lead, trimming it down to just three with 2:39 left in the half.  After that Benton could only get up by as much as six points, a free throw from Goodwin making it 28-22 with 36 seconds in the half, but a three point shot with seven seconds on the clock made it 28-25 Cardinals at the halftime break. 

In the third quarter, Benton continued to extend their lead going up by as many as five points twice, first going up with 5:24 left in the quarter on a shot from Goodwin, and later in the quarter with 4:10 left going back up by five on a second chance layup from Xavier Warner giving Benton a 34-29 lead. 

But with 2:01 left in the third, Clayton tied the game again, the Cardinals taking the lead back for a moment nine seconds later, but again the Greyhounds tied things with 1:34 left, before taking the lead near the buzzer on a layup off a Benton turnover, giving Clayton a 40-38 lead heading into the final quarter.

Things continued to stay crazy in the final quarter, with the lead changing hands three times within the first two minutes of the frame.  Clayton tied the game with 5:25 left, and after the lead changed three more times, it was Benton tying the game up at 48 with 4:23 left in regulation.  A layup from Mach Mayom gave the Cardinals the lead back, and Goodwin extended the lead to four with 3:02 left, but the Greyhouds just over two minutes later cut the lead to two, calling a timeout with 1:24 left trailing 52-50. 

After the timeout, a turnover by Goodwin led to a foul from Woodward, but a foul on Xavier Warner with 40 seconds in regulation sent Clayton to the free throw line, where the Greyhounds tied up the game at 52.  After another timeout from Clayton, it would be Benton calling a timeout with nine seconds left in the game. The Greyhounds would get a steal off a bad pass from Jamarion Warner, and with four seconds remaining a layup by Matthew Hurst put Clayton up 54-52.  After another timeout from the Cardinals, Goodwin would attempt his heroics, but fall just short.

Along with Goodwin’s team leading 28 points, the senior being the only Cardinal in double digits, Jamarion Warner added eight points. Woodward chipped in six points, while Mayom and Xavier Warner each scored five. 

Benton will now play in the MSHSAA Class 4 Third Place game tomorrow at 10am.  The Cardinals will have a rematch of last season’s championship game as they take on Vashon.  The Wolverines fell to Logan-Rogersville 74-60.

Final seconds of the game

Postgame Press Conference (Audio Courtesy of Clifton Grooms)

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.