Edwards’ buzzer-beater leads Cape Central past Scott City in 53-51 thriller

SCOTT CITY — Cape Central needed someone to step up after Scott City hit a game-tying 3-pointer with nine seconds left.

Star guard TySeanDre’ Edwards made sure to answer the bell.

In a marquee Southeast Missouri boys' basketball matchup, the junior scored a second chance layup at the buzzer to help the Tigers sneak past Scott City 53-51 on Monday night at Scott City High School.

Rams senior Kobe Watson hit a clutch corner 3 with nine seconds remaining to tie the game at 51-51 until Edwards, who had a team-high 16 points, rebounded teammate Matayo Rivers’ layup attempt and tapped in a last-second basket to send Cape Central (10-4) to its third consecutive victory.

“It was yesterday when we had to cancel practice because we had five guys with the flu,” head coach Lamont Frazier said. “Was really worried tonight that we wouldn't have the energy and have the legs to perform the way we were prepared to be doing. I thought all night long our guys just fought through it.

“Our guys just fought through it and we played a number of guys in the first half to try to try to get guys through. And at some point, I had to challenge our guys and see if we could dig deep in a situation like tonight given our circumstances with three of our starters gone yesterday.”

Rivers accompanied Edwards with 11 points, while senior Mar’K Mills had 10. Cape Central tamed Scott City’s high-octane offense — one that entered the night averaging 75 points per game this season — and turned the game into a low-scoring bruise fest.

The Tigers led 33-26 at the break, but could not gain much separation from the well-rounded Rams bunch for much of the contest.

Up 40-38 late in the third quarter, senior Landrick McFerren drained a corner 3 before tacking on a pair of free throws to give the Tigers their biggest lead of the second half (7).

With three minutes to go in the final quarter, Mills added to his season highlight reel when he drove toward the basket and put down a loud slam dunk to set off the Cape Central bench and put him team in front by three.

Scott City (11-3) had a golden opportunity to tie the game with 39 seconds left before Watson, who posted a game-high 27 points, missed a pair of free throws to maintain a 48-46 Cape advantage. But one possession later, with nine seconds remaining, Watson redeemed himself by draining a clutch corner 3 to tie it at 51 apiece and force a Tiger timeout.

Then came the moment of truth.

After Rivers raced down the court, he drove toward the basket and lobbed a desperation layup that fell short of the rim. Fortunately for him, the 6-foot-7 Edwards perfectly timed his rebound and netted the second chance layup before running down the opposite end of the court in sheer joy as his teammates went into a frenzy.

The Cape Central win marks Scott City’s first home loss since Jan. 19, 2023, when the Rams fell to Advance.

Frazier credits his team's progression from a maturity standpoint for Monday's gritty performance that came down to the very wire.

“There's been a lot of maturity from the first time we were in situations like this when we had to have a basket or we had to have a stop,” Frazier said. “When they tied the game up, that was one of the first things I said to them, ‘you know what? Here's the game. If we're looking at results, the absolute worst that is going to happen right now is this game is going to go into overtime. You're going to secure the ball and you're going to get a shot.’ At that point they relaxed and they accepted the next play for what it was. Whatever happened at that point had already kind of prefaced them for, ‘OK, this is the worst case scenario, but I like our chances.’”

Looking ahead, Cape Central returns to its home court tomorrow night when the Tigers host New Madrid County Central at 7:30 p.m. Scott City will aim to bounce back tomorrow night when the Rams entertain Advance at 7:30 p.m.