The Higbee Tigers won a two-point thriller over North Shelby Thursday afternoon at the Norm Stewart Classic in Mizzou Arena. 

North Shelby is Stewart’s hometown, and the legendary coach had a front-row seat.

In a tight ball game that saw 24 lead changes and nine ties, it all came down to one shot.

Tied 63-63 with 45 seconds on the clock, North Shelby coach Cody Stoneburner called a timeout. The strategy worked, and the Raiders got their shot. But it didn’t fall. Instead, Higbee senior Derek Rockett grabbed the rebound and slowly dribbled down the floor. 

“Seven seconds,” shouted Higbee coach Tanner Burton.

Patiently moving the ball from side to side, Rockett worked the clock, then with seven seconds left, he drove down the middle, made a move, and went up for the jump shot from the middle of the lane. With less than a second on the clock, the shot swished through the net, giving the Tigers a two-point victory on Norm Stewart Court in Mizzou Arena.

“We got that rebound, so we decided to hold for one shot,” Rockett said. “Everything was perfectly executed. It was just right.”

Burton said his team needed one more possession and needed to own it.

“We got the rebound, and I put up my hands, so he knew,” Burton said about taking the last shot. “He basically just ran the clock until he got what he wanted. Derick taking the last shot is probably the right choice 100% of the time.”

After trailing by one entering the fourth quarter, Higbee gave up a free throw on the first possession of the period to fall back by two. But a 3-pointer by Aaron Welch from the left side of the key put the Tigers in front by one.

Both teams traded punches throughout a fourth quarter replete with turnovers, including steals and one-and-done possessions. North Selby managed to take a three-point lead with 1:23 left to play. The Raiders could not know that would be their final basket of the game. 

Rockett would go on to score the final five points of the game. The first three came from a shot behind the arc with 1:12 on the clock. The last two came on a 2-point jumper from the paint to give Higbee the win.

Moments later, he was a mid-court accepting the Gary Filbert Game MVP Award.

“It feels pretty good,” Rockett said. “It’s an exciting day. It was a back-and-forth game. There was a lot going on today, but we still came out and played it like it was a regular game and focused on winning.”

Both teams struggled from the floor all night. And it was just long shots and mid-range jumpers that weren’t falling. Even post shooting and putbacks bounced away.

Higbee finished the day shooting just 42.6% of shots from the field and sank just six of 23 attempts from the arc. North Shelby ended with 31% shooting from the field and 5-for-26 (19.2%) shooting from 3-point distance.

But despite shooting, the most significant statistical disparity came on the boards. The Raiders outrebounded Higbee 52-39. Jade Daniel ruled the glass, pulling down a game-high 21 rebounds for North Shelby to go along with 19 points for the game’s only double-double.

“He was just handling us,” Burton said. “We weren’t sealing him off on the glass, so he was just flying through and getting second and third chances. We still never got an opportunity to own the glass because we did a bad job of rotating down and making sure someone was there to get the rebound. That’s got to be something we figure out. We can’t just get smashed on the glass like that every night.”

Higbee blocked seven shots on the day compared to just one for the Raiders. Jaxson Hudson and Will Spilman blocked three shots apiece.

But ultimately, the game held more meaning than just rebounds and blocked shots. It was about two teams playing on the state’s largest stage. And with the Show-Me Showdown headed back to Mizzou Arena this year, it’s a chance to get to know the floor on which both teams aspire to return with shots for state titles.

“It’s all about making memories for the kids,” Burton said. “We play different venues. I want to give them the opportunity to do things, that when they look back 20 years from now, they’re going to remember they had a chance and they did something like that. Not a lot of schools our size are out there doing those things. I want to give these kids memories that will last a lifetime.

“Now we have to do the work so that in March, we can come back.”

For Higbee, the journey back to Mizzou Arena includes two more big games this month. On December 22, the Tigers face a solid team from Lathrop at HyVee Arena in Kansas City for the 12 Courts of Christmas. Eight days later, Higbee plays its final game of 2023 at Moberly Area Community College against perennial state contender St. Elizabeth.