HIGHLAND, Kan. - After trailing by as many as 18 points in the second half, Highland (8-4) forced overtime against no. 11 North Central Missouri (12-2) but fell just short in the extra stanza. A pair of missed three-pointers in the additional five minutes proved unfortunate for the Scotties in an 86-78 final. Tavian Tate led Highland with 18 points, with Colton Knoll adding a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double.

The first half was a physical, evenly-matched affair. The Pirates had the best of the tug-of-war after the opening 20 minutes, taking a 43-34 lead into halftime. NCMC continued to press after the break, stretching to a 60-42 lead by the under-12 media timeout.

Perhaps inspired by its early-season upset in Trenton, Highland came out of the timeout with a renewed intensity on defense, holding the Pirates to just two makes in 18 shots over the final 11:32.

With just over 10 minutes left, Knoll looked as if he planned to single-handedly will Highland back into the ball game, forcing a miss by Deng Gak on a fastbreak layup then grabbing the rebound and sending Takeo Moore for a transition dunk on the other end.

Deng was able to answer with a pair of free throws and a layup to put the Pirates back in front 64-47 with 8:12 left, but Knoll was undeterred, sandwiching a pair of baskets around a crucial block on a Camden Bennett jumper that led to a transition bucket by EJ Coleman.

Highland continued its surge, with another Knoll layup closing the gap to 64-59 with 5:15 left, drawing a North Central Missouri timeout.

Bennett was able to score for the Pirates out of the timeout, but the jumper was the last field goal in regulation for NCMC as Adriel Smith answered with a layup followed by a steal.

The Scotties weren't able to convert that turnover into points, but Jaden Williams picked Camden Brown's pocket then found a give-and-go on with Smith on the other end pulling Highland within 66-63 at the 3:00 mark. The Scotties got a big stop, with Smith driving to the cup to narrow the gap to one.

After a block by Moore led to a scramble under the basket and a missed second-chance triple by Bennett, NCMC was able to secure the ball and call a timeout. Highland got another stop but its second-half struggles from long-range came calling, with a miss putting the ball in the hands of the Pirates with less than a minute to go.

Forced to send Bennett to the line for a pair of free throws, the Scotties found a glimmer of hope as he missed the second and Knoll grabbed the rebound. Highland tried to find an three-pointer for the win, but Coleman flashed open for an easy layup to tie the game at 67-67.

Highland held strong on the defensive end forcing an off-balance shot by Grant Redd that fell harmlessly wide. The Scotties kept hold of the momentum, winning the tip and knocking down a pair of buckets to take a four-point lead. Unfortunately, NCMC was able to overcome its second half shooting lag, making all five field goal attempts and going 9-of-9 from the free throw line to pull away for the win.

The Scotties close out 2025 with a 1 p.m. road contest at Jefferson College on Saturday.