Brady Hatton scored on an offensive rebound and then converted a turnover into another basket. Ryan Schmidt hit a free throw and added a short jumper, followed by another bucket by Hatton after grabbing yet another offensive board. Collin Westendorf then capped the 12-0 run with a three-pointer to forge a tie, 32-32, at the 3:11 mark of the third period.

“Our hats are off to Arcola,” Rincker noted. “They put us in a position we haven’t been in very often this season. But I was really pleased with how our guys came back. They showed a lot of heart.”

St. Anthony held a slim 37-36 advantage entering the final eight minutes. The two teams traded baskets the first two minutes of the fourth period, with Brock Fearday and Schmidt scoring for the Bulldogs to maintain the one-point margin, 41-40.

St. Anthony then held the ball and ran nearly 4½ minutes off the clock. Finally, with 37 seconds to play, Fearday was fouled and made both free throws to give the Bulldogs a three-point cushion, 43-30.

But 17 seconds later, Jackson Miller connected from behind the arc to knot the score at 43-43. The Bulldogs held for the last shot, but was unable to score, sending the game into overtime.

The Purple Riders never trailed in the extra session. Miller hit another three to open the scoring. After a pair of free throws by Schmidt, Arcola’s lead was just one, 48-47. But in the final 1:13, the regional’s No. 4 seed was nearly perfect at the foul line. Brayden and Brody Phillips combined to go 3-for-4, while Alanis was 6-for-6.

Fearday got fouled on a three-point attempt and made all three free throws to get the Bulldogs within 53-50. After two free throws by Alanis, Fearday scored again to make it a three-point margin, 55-52, with just 14 ticks remaining. Two final foul shots by Alanis just six seconds later secured the upset victory.

“We had some good looks,” Rincker said. “We just couldn’t make enough shots. But credit Arcola for getting the job done.”

The Purple Riders knocked down three shots from long range in the opening quarter to build a 13-8 edge. Arcola then went on a 14-7 surge to increase its lead to 27-15. Westendorf drilled a three-pointer and Fearday added a basket to close the gap to seven points, but a late bucket by Brayden Phillips sent the Purple Riders to the locker room with a 29-20 advantage at intermission.

Arcola had four players in double figures. Brayden Phillips and Alanis both scored 13 points, while Brody Phillips and Miller both added 12. The Purple Riders shot 47 percent for the game, making 17-of-36 attempts. They were 13-for-15 at the foul line.

Schmidt led the Bulldogs with 15 points, while Fearday had 13 and Westendorf 11. The team was 19-for-59 from the floor, a cool 32 percent clip. They were 3-for-14 from behind the arc and 9-for-11 at the free throw line.

St. Anthony ends its season with a 29-5 record.

“There are many things to be proud of this season,” Rincker said. “There’s nothing to hang our heads about. The boys gave it a great effort tonight.”

Coach Rincker will say goodbye to three seniors – Collin Westendorf, Max Koenig and Nick Ruholl.

“It’s hard to say goodbye to those three,” the veteran coach admitted. “They put in a lot of time and effort and have meant a lot to this program. I’m proud of them. But there are a lot of great things ahead for St. Anthony basketball.”