Panthers advance to Region 6 Semifinals with upset at Highland 

Luke Mackay's first playoff win at Neosho County was nothing short of an instant classic.

In a game that saw 15 ties and eight lead changes, the Panthers used a pair of clutch shots to knock off the 4-seed Highland 85-82.

Jerry Carraway led the way with 30 points and eight rebounds, with his biggest field goal coming at the end of regulation. With the Panthers trailing by three, Carraway hoisted a contested jumper over All-Jayhawk defender Marquis Milton that banked off the back board and found the bottom of the net to force overtime.

Milton would get revenge in the extra session, scoring a layup that tied the game at 82 with just five seconds remaining. After taking the ensuing inbound pass, Micah Jones found fellow freshman Jayden Parker who quickly turned and put up a three from the top of the key to beat the buzzer.

As a program, Neosho County knocked down 18 of its 41 3-point attempts. Carraway buried five of his 11 attempts while Jones and freshman KD Jolly each finished with 12 points, knocking down four triples of their own.

The Panthers trailed by as many as eight in the first half and led by as much as nine in the second half before the game tightened up.

The win sets up a third meeting with top-seeded Allen County, who defeated Labette County in the quarterfinals. That game will be played on Wednesday, March 2nd in Iola, KS.