Controversial late shot helps Merced boys edge Atwater in CCC basketball

Hector Nava looked like the cartoon cat caught with his paw in the birdcage, the feathers still floating around him.

The Merced High School boys basketball coach knew his team caught a break.

Jacob Busko’s step-back shot from the baseline looked to tie the score for the Bears with 27 seconds left. Only the referee credited Busko with a three-pointer to give the Bears a one-point lead.

Atwater’s Reggie Ricks missed two free throws with seven seconds left, and Merced (10-10, 1-3 Central California Conference) held on for a possible season-saving 45-43 win at the Nest on Wednesday night.

All the post-game talk centered around the controversial three-pointer.

“My coaches said no, it wasn’t a three,” Nava said. “I didn’t see it. I was watching the weak side for a rebound because I knew he was going to shoot. I knew they called it a three. But it was my assistants who told me it wasn’t a three.”

Even Busko was surprised.

“A.J. (Stewart) got in trouble and kicked it out to me,” Busko said. “I shot it, and I was surprised I made it because I was falling away. I felt I was inside the line, but they called it a three. I was just trying to run back on defense after the shot.”

The shot didn’t end the game. The Falcons (9-11, 1-3) still had an opportunity to win and inbounded the ball from midcourt with 13 seconds left. The ball went to Reggie Ricks, who attacked the paint and was fouled.

However, Ricks missed both free throws. Stewart rebounded the second miss and raced to the corner as Atwater didn’t foul right away.

The ball was passed ahead to Busko, who was fouled with time winding down. As the foul was called, the scoreboard turned off.

After an initial conference, the referees originally ruled the game was over; that was, until the scoreboard was turned back on and showed two seconds on the clock.

After a second conference, the referees put one second on the clock. Busko make the first free throw and was whistled for a lane violation on the second. Merced led 45-43, and Atwater inbounded the ball.

The Falcons fired a long pass, but it was broken up by the Bears as time expired.

“It’s a tough one, a heartbreaker,” Atwater coach Jason Boesch said. “Probably the hardest lost I’ve ever had. Just everything that happened. We were leading, then supposedly they hit a three. I don’t know. It looked to me like he was well inside the line. Then we didn’t convert at the end. It’s a hard one to take.”

The Falcons led 29-18 at halftime but shot just 4 for 24 from the floor in the second half. It didn’t help that leading scorer Kyle Anaya didn’t play in the fourth quarter after suffering an ankle injury.

The Falcons made just one of their first 14 shots in third quarter as Merced closed the deficit to 31-25.

“We’ve had games like that where we didn’t make a lot of field goals, but we still gave ourselves a chance to win,” Boesch said.

Stewart, who was held to seven points through three quarters, came alive in the fourth, scoring 10 of his 17 points. Stewart scored to pull Merced within 41-40 with 2:52 left.

After scoring just nine points in each of the first three quarters, Merced broke through for 18 in the fourth.

“I think the biggest thing was early on, we were trying to rush too much and we were playing too much one-on-one,” Busko said. “Later on, we slowed down and started to move the ball. In the fourth quarter, we shared the ball.”

Jared Pazin hit a big three-pointer during the Bears’ comeback in the fourth quarter and finished with 11 points. Busko had seven points.

Ricks paced Atwater with 15 points and Juan Walle scored 12.

While Boesch was hoping instant replay would find its way to high school basketball, Nava and the Bears avoided an 0-4 start in the CCC.

“We deserve a break, and we got a break,” Nava said. “Right now, we still control our own destiny. We can easily still get second place. Maybe not easily, but we control it.”

Turlock 50, Golden Valley 34 in Merced – Ricky Heidelbach led the Bulldogs with 22 points to help Turlock remain unbeaten in the CCC at 4-0. August Tangaan led Golden Valley with eight points.

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 10:53 PM with the headline "Controversial late shot helps Merced boys edge Atwater in CCC basketball."