MONTGOMERY CITY - Kameron Worley produced a game-high 20 points as the No. 4 seed Bowling Green Bobcats outlasted the No. 1 Fulton Hornets 36-31 in the semifinals of the Montgomery County Invitational on Thursday night.
Fulton (1-1) was blanked 8-0 in the first quarter and was down 16-8 at halftime. The Hornets trailed 22-18 entering the fourth quarter, but tied the game at 31-all when senior forward John Adams made a free throw with 1 minute, 24 seconds to play.
Bowling Green, though, answered by scoring the game's final five points to move on to Saturday night's title game.
"We couldn't figure out how to score - it was a tough one," Fulton head coach Justin Gilmore said. "Credit to Bowling Green - they had a good defensive plan for us, they executed it and outplayed us.
"We couldn't get anything easy and we weren't making anything outside."
Freshman guard Josh Reams hit four 3-pointers to pace the Hornets with 12 points. Freshman guard Courtland Simmons followed with seven points.
Gilmore was pleased with his squad's showing on the defensive end.
"It was a heck of a defensive effort," Gilmore said. "We had a game plan and they executed it. (Bowling Green) likes to use the ball screen and roll, and we defended it very well."
Fulton will play either No. 2 seed Hermann or No. 3 Montgomery County for third place at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.