Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – Owen Coffman didn’t take an advantage of an opportunity to give Grinnell a late lead over Clear Creek Amana in regulation on Thursday.

Coffman got a second chance to lift the Tigers to a comeback win in overtime and with some last-second assistance from teammate Brooks Latimer the senior center made good on that chance.

The 6-foot-9 Coffman scored six of his game-high 19 points in overtime and Latimer nailed the game-winning 3-pointer with 1 second left as Grinnell stunned Clear Creek Amana 65-62 in a non-conference contest in Tiffin.

“I missed my chance to win the game so I was just thinking I had to do something to make up for it,” Coffman said. “Fortunately, it worked out.”
Coffman had a chance to all but cinch the win for Grinnell (2-1) in regulation but missed a pair of free throws with 1 second left.

The two late misses from the charity stripe were the only shots Coffman would miss all game.

Coffman scored the first four points of overtime, then tied the game at 62-all with a driving hoop with 30 seconds left. He finished 9-of-9 from the field on his way to 19 points.

“I just had to flush it and work on the next thing,” Coffman said. “You just have to play the game and compete.”

The biggest play of the game from Coffman who grabbed 11 rebounds to finish with a double-double, came on the defensive end.

Coffman stepped in front of a driving Mike Potter to draw a charge with under 15 seconds to play setting the stage for Latimer to win the game on the other end.

“He’s a good player and I knew he was going to make a move or something,” Coffman said. “I knew my chances of taking a charge were the only way to stop him so I just stood there and took it.”

Latimer provided the offensive game winner with a 3-pointer from the corner with 1 second left.

A desperation heave from Clear Creek Amana was off the mark as the Clippers dropped to 1-2 on the season.

“Down the stretch in the fourth quarter we just made some errors in judgement on offense,” Clear Creek Amana coach Brandon Clubb said. “We kind of settled for some jumpers there when we should have been a little more patient and I hope that’s a learning moment for our kids.”
Clear Creek Amana closed the first-quarter on a 7-0 spurt and scored the first seven points of the second quarter to take its biggest lead of the game at 27-12.

Grinnell closed the half on a 15-3 run to cut the Clipper margin to 30-27 at intermission.

Clear Creek Amana had an answer to every Tiger spurt for most of the second half.

Grinnell finally pulled even for the first time since 5-5 in the opening three minutes of the game on a conventional 3-point play by Hoffman with 1:38 left.

Hoffman and fellow senior Matayas Durr scored 26 of their combined 32 points after halftime.

“I think you could tell they had a conversation about trying to establish those guys inside coming out the second half and they really did,” Clubb said. “The way we are built we have to play it a little different, our guards have to give some support and we figured it out but a few times we didn’t do it and it cost us.”

Clear Creek Amana trailed 60-56 less than 90 seconds into overtime after back-to-back baskets in the paint by Hoffman.

The Clippers rallied behind six straight points from senior Mike Potter who put Clear Creek Amana up 62-60 with a pair of free throws with 53 seconds left.

Clear Creek Amana shot a season-high 50 percent from the field, was 8-of-9 from the free throw line and had four players in double figures but scored just 14 points in the final eight minutes on Thursday.

“Offensively we are coming along,” Clubb said. “We are getting there we are still trying to figure out what we’ve got, what they can do. It’s kind of a work in progress.”

Potter had a team-high 16 points and five rebounds while Ryan Navara had 15, Christian Withrow had 13 and Brock Reade had 11, all of which came in the first half.

“We really have to have that balance because I think teams are going to really come at Christian,” Clubb said. “Some of those other guys have to step up and find their spots and they really did tonight I thought.”

Clear Creek Amana              20  10  18   8   6  –  62

Grinnell                                    12  15  16  13  9  –  65

Clear Creek Amana (62) – Brock Reade 5-9 0-0 11, Kyle Schrepfer 2-6 2-2 7, Christian Withrow 6-13 0-0 13, Mike Potter 5-8 6-7 16, Ryan Navara 6-12 0-0 15, Totals 24-48 8-9 62.

Grinnell (65) – Brooks Latimer 3-6 0-0 8, AJ Wilkins 5-9 1-2 14, Kyle Dillon 0-5 0-0 0, Aaron Campbell 2-5 2-2 6, Cole McGriff 1-6 0-0 3, Owen Coffman 9-9 1-3 19, Matayas Durr 6-8 1-1 13, Trey Gohlman 1-1 0-0 2, Totals 27-49 5-8 65.

3-point field goals – CCA 6-17 (Reade 1-3, Schrepfer 1-5, Withrow 1-3, Potter 0-1, Navara 3-5), GRI 6-15 (Latimer 2-4, Wilkins 3-6, Dillon 0-2, McGriff 1-3). Rebounds – CCA 15 (Potter 5), GRI 32 (Coffman 11). Turnovers – CCA 11, GRI 16. Total fouls – CCA 8, GRI 12. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – None.

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.