If the Superior basketball teams, boys and girls, go on to have a successful 2023-24 seasons, the spotlight will fall on Darby.

This past Thursday night, the Bobcats and Lady Bobcats traveled to Darby and both came away with potentially season changing victories before the holiday break.

And both games were won in dramatic fashion: the Lady Bobcats rallied from a nine-point deficit going into the fourth quarter and tied the game in the waning moments. They then used a steal by Josie Crabb on an in-bounds Darby pass that Crabb put back up and in the Darby basket with two seconds remaining to pull off the stunning comeback win for their second victory of the year.

Just seconds before Crabb’s winning bucket, Lady Cats forward Braelyn Mangold tied the game on a lay-in following a pair of free throws that put Darby in front by two with 20 seconds left in regulation.

That set up the winning steal and basket by Crabb, a promising Superior freshman.

Darby, which fell to 4-2 on the year and is the only team to beat 6-1 Plains this season in girls play, took a quick 12-4 lead after one quarter of play and appeared poised to rule the night.

But the Lady Cats regrouped, and fought back in the second quarter (12-12) to create a 24-16 halftime lead for the Tigers. Darby added one point to that lead in the third quarter as the two teams headed into the final quarter of regulation with the home team ahead, 35-26.

That’s when the Lady Cats cranked up their Jeff Schultz style smothering defense and held Darby to 11 points in the fourth quarter. Superior then amped up its own offense, led by Mangold and Perri Jasper.

Superior overtook Darby with just over two minutes to play on a two-point bucket by Mangold, one of several for the Cat’s talented forward during the comeback rally.

The two teams entered the final minute of play tied at 44. Darby got a pair of go-ahead free throws with 21 seconds to play to take a 46-44 lead.

One the in-bounds play, Mangold got the ball just past the top of the key and drove through a gap in the Darby defense for a nearly uncontested lay-in as time ticked away.

Enter Crabb, who earlier had missed a pair of free throws. She stole the ball under the Darby basket and sank a short two for the win as time ran out.

“That was a fun game,” said Schultz, who had a major league fist pump when Crabb’s shot went in. “The girls off the bench came in and gave us minutes and energy. They won the game for us for sure”.

Mangold had 14 points to pace the Lady Cats, who also got 13 from Jasper.

While not quite as dramatic in terms of last second winning bucket, the boys game was also a nail-biter in its own right.

Darby and Superior locked horns in a battle that produced an 8-8 tie after one quarter of play. But in the second quarter, the Bobcats outscored Darby 14-4 to take a 22-12 lead at the end of the first half.

Darby erased that lead in the third quarter, outscoring the visitors 16-5. Heading into the final quarter of regulation, the home team held a 28-27 lead.

Then it was Superior’s turn to bring one home and they did by outworking Darby and outscoring them 16-6 to seal the nine point victory, their first of the year.

Freshman guard Gannon Quinlan had a game-high 22 points for Superior, which improved to 1-4.

Both Superior teams played Eureka in Superior Friday night. That game, which was played after a newspaper early deadline due to Christmas, will be outlined in the issue that comes out on Jan 3.

Next up for the Bobcats and Lady Cats is a pair of games Thursday, Jan 5, versus the Savage Heat and Lady Heat in Hot Springs. The Cats then return to Superior for two Saturday evening games against Darby.

    Superior guard Perri Jasper drives around Darby's Hadley Heland during their game Thursday night in Darby. (Photo by Byron Quinlan)