Derby keeps firing, advances to 6A boys semifinals

As Olathe North matched Derby basket for basket at many of Thursday’s most crucial moments, it might have been time for Derby coach Brett Flory to consider a different strategy.

The quick possessions with a high volume of three-pointers were producing a lot of points, but never enough for Derby to feel comfortable. How about slowing it down some?

Flory never considered it and Derby rewarded him, winning 84-81 in the first quarterfinals of the Class 6A boys tournament at Koch Arena. The Panthers play defending champion Blue Valley Northwest at 8:15 p.m. in Friday’s semifinals.

“I think at state you have to play your identity,” Flory said. “That’s this team’s identity and it has been all year. If I told them, ‘All right guys, we’re going to slow it down and run clock,’ and all that, they’d look at me like I was crazy at this point.

“You’ve got to trust your guys. We’ve built this team in a certain way and they were able to win in their own style today. The trouble is that’s also kind of Olathe North’s style, and that’s why it was a pretty good game.”

Derby led by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, but in a game as fast as Thursday’s, those deficits weren’t difficult to make up. Less than two minutes after Derby’s had a 72-64 lead, Olathe North tied it 73-73 on a three-pointer with four minutes to play.

Derby’s heroics came from a relatively unexpected source – not one of its leading scorers, Tyler Brown or Bryant Mocaby. Instead, Tre Washington helped seal the win with nine fourth-quarter points, including seven free throws.

Washington and fellow sophomore Grant Adler combined for eight of Derby’s final 17 points in the final five-plus minutes.

“They’re tough, they’re competitors,” Flory said. “Both of them have a lot of dog in them.…That’s why it’s been a unique team. Obviously we have some seniors that are big-time players, but it’s been a process to blend in with these young-gun sophomores, too. They were unified tonight.”

Washington made 11 of 13 free throws and scored 19 points. Bryant Mocaby scored 24 and made 5 of 8 three-pointers, leading a second-half charge that put Derby ahead 65-55 early in the fourth quarter.

Olathe North’s last lead was 53-52, which came not long after Derby led by eight. The Panthers stayed true to their identity and remained confident they would have the final rally.

“We know we have to win as a team,” Washington said. “It’s not individual ball. It’s got to work as a team or else, so that’s very important.”

This story was originally published March 8, 2018 at 10:21 PM with the headline "Derby keeps firing, advances to 6A boys semifinals."