Jacoby Mehrman delivers to lift Harrisburg past Mitchell in triple overtime at Class AA state tournament

Harrisburg sophomore Jacoby Mehrman finally closed out the game that wouldn't end.

Mehrman scored on a drive to the basket with 4.4 seconds remaining in the third overtime to give the fourth-seeded Tigers a 78-77 win over fifth-seeded Mitchell in the first round of the state Class AA boys basketball tournament game Friday in the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

Harrisburg downed their fellow Eastern South Dakota Conference foe for the second time this season and improved to 15-7. Mitchell slipped to 14-8.

Both teams had numerous chances.

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"I actually didn't (think it was going to end). It just kept going and going," said Mehrman, who led the Tigers with 26 points.

Harrisburg meets top-seeded and defending champion Sioux Falls Roosevelt at 6 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. Mitchell faces Yankton at noon in the consolation semifinals.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

Back-and forth and back-and-forth

As you might expect, the game had more than its fair share of twists and turns and stayed close from start to finish.

Harrisburg led 15-14 after one quarter and 46-43 after three. Mitchell led 35-34 at halftime.

"There was a ton of emotion in that game and both teams competed their tails off," said Harrisburg coach Scott Langerock. "Neither team wanted to lose. One team would get up four points and the other team would respond with two quick possessions."

Tied at 55-55 late in regulation, Harrisburg missed an opportunity to take the lead and Mitchell failed to convert on two shots.

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Harrisburg had two shots to snap a 59-59 tie in the first overtime but was unsuccessful, and the two teams combined for three turnovers in the final 20 seconds of the second overtime, which ended at 65-65.

"I've got to give credit to Mitchell," said Langerock. "They competed their tails off and made plays. I'm also just really proud of our guys for not quiting."

Somebody finally plays the hero

A fan in the Mitchell crowd starting chanting "Take Over, Take Over" as the two teams prepared to start the third overtime, but that's the thing. Neither team was able to do that throughout the game, at least not as far as the point total on the scoreboard.

In the end, it was Mehrman who made the decisive play.

"We needed buckets and I just got open, made a move and score," he said.

The field goal capped a big game for Mehrman, who led the way for the Tigers along with junior guard Ethan Determan, who tallied 25. Three Harrisburg regulars fouled out in the game.

"Ethan can make shots and I know Jacoby, he's only a sophomore, but he has the ability to take over games," said Langerock.

Augustana University recruit Caden Hinker's 29-point, 13-rebound performance led the Kernels, who also got 19 points from juniors Dylan Soulek and Charlie McCardle. Steele Morgan contributed nine points and 13 rebounds.

Weird stats, and is there anything left in the tank?

The game's statistics don't really tell us how Harrisburg did it. Mitchell shot 51 percent from the field compared to Harrisburg's 41 percent and also dominated the glass 46-25.

The Tigers, who were also whistled for 25 fouls, did take advantage of turnovers — making only seven compared to Mitchell's 23.

Now the question is how will the Tigers respond in the semifinals on Friday.

"It's the state tournament so we have to put up something," said Mehrman. "We're pretty excited. We like our chances and we'll give them everything we've got."

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota Class AA basketball: Harrisburg beats Mitchell in 3OT