McCool's shot lifts Spartans to Steel City title

Ben McCool lived up to his last name on Thursday.

McCool’s huge 3-pointer tied the game with three seconds to play in regulation, and Mountain Brook ran away in overtime with a 69-64 victory in the final of the Steel City Invitational at Samford University’s Pete Hanna Center.

“Ben is a really clutch player,” Mountain Brook head coach Bucky McMillan said. “He’s not our best 3-point shooter, but there’s probably no one else I’d rather have with the game on the line taking a 3.”

The Spartans (14-0) went on an 8-0 run to begin the extra period to cement the win, as Britton Johnson’s 3-pointer and a Trendon Watford bucket got the overtime started.

“We could’ve played better. There’s some things we could’ve done better, but it’ll feel better correcting those things after the win,” McMillan said.

Mountain Brook got contributions from a variety of guys in the game, putting four players in double figures scoring. Watford notched a double-double, pouring in a team-high 19 points and 13 rebounds. McCool scored 17 on 6-of-8 shooting, including draining his lone 3-point attempt of the day.

Johnson and Sean Elmore each shot 4-of-12 from the floor, with Johnson scoring 12 points and Elmore 11.

Myreon Jones scored a game-high 27 points for Huffman, as the Vikings presented a challenge to their new Class 7A, Area 6 foe.

Mountain Brook competes next in a tournament in Huntsville next week.