In a 60-54 thriller, Redwood boys’ basketball defeated the Branson Bulls in a highly anticipated rivalry match. The crowd was packed and tensions were high as senior Semetri “TT” Carr, a transfer student from Branson, faced off against his former team. Less than a year ago, Carr led the Bulls to an 80-55 victory over Redwood. Last night, he delivered an even more dominant performance — this time for the Giants.
Whether it was nerves from the biggest game of the season so far or strong defensive play, both teams struggled offensively to start the game. Senior Brennan Woodley made multiple drives to the rim, getting fouled but only converting two of his first seven free throw attempts. Senior Tyler White, another Branson transfer, found open looks early but couldn’t capitalize, missing all five shots from behind the arc in the first half. Sloppy offensive play and a collection of moving screens resulted in nine Giants turnovers in the first half. Late in the first quarter, the Bulls went on a 10-0 run, sparked by a three-pointer from freshman Hunter Zach and crafty attacks by sophomore NJ Gray. By the middle of the second quarter, Branson led 25-12, their largest lead of the evening. However, the Giants promptly responded as junior Jake Post nailed a momentum-boosting three-pointer, and Carr made his free throw attempts after getting fouled. Carr followed with consecutive buckets to end the half, cutting the Bulls’ lead to two with an electrifying buzzer-beating three-pointer to bring the score to 26-28.
In the second half, Carr took over, proving he could score from deep but also take it to the basket. The Bulls struggled to adjust to his aggressive playstyle, giving him 21 free throws, of which he made 17. Aside from a three-pointer by senior Zach Dinowitz, Carr was the Giants’ entire offense coming out of the break and throughout the rest of the game — 19 of Redwood’s 32 second-half points were his. The Bulls kept up with Redwood despite Carr’s eruption, with Branson senior Chase Robertson making difficult layups and mid-range shots.
An unsung hero was Redwood senior Simon Leonard, who played through a knee injury and dominated in the paint, especially in the fourth quarter. He made crucial blocks at the rim and his six-foot-seven stature helped him make a couple of layups down the stretch.
With three minutes and 45 seconds left in the game, Carr split through a double-team to scoop in a layup and extend the Redwood lead to six points. However, a Bulls two-pointer from sophomore Heath French and a technical foul on Redwood, leading to free throws, brought the lead back to two. After Woodley was fouled, he rebounded from his early free-throw woes, making two clutch shots to bring the Giants’ lead up to four with only 38 seconds left in the game. Following a missed shot and Giants rebound, the Bulls entered desperation mode. Carr was fouled twice within the last few minutes and made all four free throws giving the Giants a sense of security in the tight game. The Bulls were determined to play until the end, making a last-second dunk and fouling Redwood senior Duke Aarsheim with .6 seconds to go. Carr looked back at the crowd of his former school, who had heckled him all night, giving a wave as he turned back to the team’s bench. He led all scorers with 38 points, 17 of which came from the free-throw line.
