CALIFORNIA - Junior guard Kalin Mitchell knocked down two free throws with 1.1 seconds to play as the No. 2 seed Fulton Hornets rallied past No. 7 seed Boonville in the final minute for a 76-73 win late Tuesday night in the first round of the 81st-annual California Tournament.
Fulton trailed the Pirates by four points with less than a minute left when senior forward Devin Gibson hit the last of his five 3-pointers to bring the Hornets within 73-72. Mitchell committed a foul on Boonville's next possession, but the Pirates missed the front end of a 1-and-1 opportunity.
Fulton brought the ball down but junior guard Radarion Glover was unable to convert a shot underneath. The Hornets came up with the rebound and Mitchell was fouled on his missed shot.
He responded by burying both free throws to put Fulton in front 74-73. Boonville attempted a floor-length pass, but it went out of bounds. The Hornets took possession under their own basket and senior guard Austin Wilson hit a layup as time expired to account for the final margin.
Fulton (8-3) was behind 57-54 going into the fourth quarter, but stopped a three-game losing streak by outscoring Boonville 22-16 over the final 8 minutes. The Hornets also avenged a 61-58 North Central Missouri Conference loss to the Pirates on Jan. 6 in Boonville.
Gibson - who was 8-of-14 from the field, including 5-of-7 from behind the arc - registered a game-high 23 points to direct three players in double figures for Fulton, which shot 47 percent (28-of-60) as a team. Wilson, who made 8-of-14 shots, added 21 points and Mitchell had 10 points and six assists.
Senior forward Sam Christensen collected nine rebounds to share game-high honors with Pirates senior forward DeAundre Lewis. Boonville edged Fulton 33-32 on the boards.
Lewis finished with 17 points to pace five players in double figures for the Pirates, who shot 54 percent (29-of-54) from the field. Junior center Ta'Vious Brazil and sophomore guard Riley Lang supplied 15 points apiece, junior guard Bryce Fuemmeler contributed 11 and senior guard Clayton Lang ended up with 10.
The Hornets will now turn their focus to a semifinal showdown against NCMC rival Mexico, the tournament's No. 3 seed, at 7:30 tonight. The Bulldogs advanced with a 75-54 first-round triumph over No. 6 Lebanon on Tuesday night.
Fulton will be looking to redeem itself after a 73-63 home loss to Mexico on Jan. 9.
In tonight's first semifinal at 6, top-seeded California - ranked No. 10 in Class 3 - squares off against No. 4 seed Fatima. California moved on by escaping with a 56-55 win over No. 8 seed Marshall in first-round play Tuesday night, while Fatima advanced with a 68-36 rout of No. 5 Southern Boone.