A near capacity crowd at Kings HS with a great atmosphere was treated to an ECC classic!  A Kings win would give the ECC title to the home team while the Spartans were trying to win a share of the ECC title.  A game tying 3 pointer at the buzzer of regulation would force OT by Turpin where ultimately the Spartans would prevail 64-60 to clinch a share of the ECC Championship.  Brady Hardewig scored the Spartans first basket…a wing 3 as the score was tied 4-4 early.  Dylan Linton scored the Spartans next 4 points which included a basket and an offensive rebound stick back.  Clark Helgason had a nice up and under move for 2 just before the end of the 1st quarter as Turpin trailed 11-10 heading into the 2nd quarter.

Dylan Linton opened the Spartans scoring in the 2nd quarter with a drive to the hoop for 2.  Hardewig hit back to back baskets with a 2 point pull up jumper and a deep 3 for a 17-16 Turpin lead.  Brad Schauer went to work on the offensive glass with an and one stick back as Turpin led 20-16.  A Shea O’Toole 3 pointer just before half gave Turpin its largest lead 23-18 at the intermission.

O’Toole opened the 2nd half Spartan scoring with a basket as Turpin continued to lead 25-20.  Brady Hardewig hit a 3 pointer in the middle of the quarter to end an 8-0 Kings run.  O’Toole ended the quarter with 2 free throws however the Spartans trailed 33-32 entering the 4th quarter.

O’Toole scored the Spartans first 4 points of the quarter with a sweet floater and 2 more free throws.  The game would go back and forth the entire 4th quarter with each team trying to win a league championship.  Linton had a nice reverse lay up.  Hardewig followed that up with a step back basket and a pull up jumper as Turpin trailed 43-42 with under 3 minutes left.  O’Toole scored 8 straight Spartan points which included 6-6 from the free throw line.  After two Knight free throws and a timeout with 8 seconds left Turpin found themselves down 54-51 with the ball.  There was little to no doubt who was getting the ball and who was taking the last shot and Kings allowed it to happen.  Hardewig dribbled up the right side of the floor, did an in/out dribble to freeze the defender and rose up to hit a deep, buzzer beating 3 to tie the score at 54 and force OT.  

Hardewig hit another 3 to open the OT scoring as Turpin led 57-54.  Hardewig hit a driving layup to keep the lead at 3.  Schauer and O’Toole hit 2 free throws each late in OT to maintain a 3 point lead 63-60.  A defensive stop by the Spartans led to a game clinching free throw by senior Nate Hayas as the Spartans clinched a share of the ECC title 64-60.  The Spartans had 3 players in double figures…Hardewig had 23 points, O’Toole finished with 21 points while Linton chipped in 10 points and 7 rebounds.  Schauer had 7 points and 5 rebounds.  Helgason had 2 points and also had 7 rebounds.  Hayas had 1 point, 2 rebounds and 2 steals.

Turpin finishes the 2022-23 season with a 17-5 record entering post season play.