The Wright City and New Haven boys basketball teams didn’t look like they were playing in a seventh-place game Saturday afternoon in the Hermann Tournament.

They battled back and forth like they were playing for all the marbles before New Haven’s Shamrocks held on for a 54-52 overtime win over the Wildcats.

After Wright City took an early 6-2 lead, the Shamrocks came back to claim an 11-10 lead at the quarter. Then they looked to be taking charge and outscored the Wildcats 9-0 to start the second quarter. That run gave New Haven a double-digit lead (20-10). That would be the largest spread by either team.

Wright City, which finished second in this tournament last year, got back in the game and outscored the Shamrocks 13-4 in the final three minutes of the first half.

Trey Saddler and Devon Holmes scored all 13 of Wright City’s points during those eight minutes.

Coach Ken Brown of the Wildcats thought it was time to apply a little half-court pressure when his team fell behind by 10.

“I knew at some point we would have to speed up the tempo, and we did that with a little pressure,” said Brown, whose team trailed by one, 24-23, at the half.

“But New Haven is a well-coached team and adjusted, like I knew they would,” added Brown.

The Wildcats didn’t score their first points of the second quarter until Saddler, a senior guard, converted a conventional 3-point play with 2:55 left in the half. He finished the scoring in the first half with a pair of free throws with six seconds on the clock, and the Shamrocks were clinging to a 24-23 lead.

Wright City opened the second half by scoring the first three baskets and taking a 30-24 lead. Tyrel Curtis started it off with a basket from inside the paint; Sean McDonald drained a 3; and Dakota Phillips worked his way inside for a basket to finish a 7-0 run.

“They got inside on us with their quickness, and that got them back in the game,” said New Haven Coach Aaron Peirick. “We let the foot off the pedal and we paid for it.”

Wright City scored just one more basket in the last 3:48 of the third quarter, and New Haven regained the lead, 33-32, heading into the final stretch.

The Shamrocks had taken a 38-35 lead on a basket by Jared Horstmann with 2:50 left on the clock, but Curtis tied it with a 3, and Saddler hit back-to-back baskets to put the Wildcats ahead, 42-40.

Andrew Menke, who had just entered the game at the two and a half minute mark of the final quarter, scored with 4.5 seconds left for the Shamrocks to tie it at 42-all, sending the game into overtime.

“They (New Haven) got a big lift from a kid who came off the bench,” said Brown. “He really made some big baskets for them.”

New Haven point guard Will Soete hit a pair of 3-pointers to start the extra session, and the Wildcats never caught up.

Wright City pulled to within one point twice in the OT, and Saddler’s shot from just inside the arc on the right side fell a bit short. His attempt was inches short of forcing a second overtime.

“Our kids played hard, and I believe this team is ready to win some games,” said Brown. “We were sluggish a little bit there in the second quarter, but we fought our way out of that.”

Saddler led all scorers with 19 points while Curtis finished with 10. Phillips and Holmes each contributed seven points. Soete led New Haven with 15 points, while Horstmann chipped in 13 and Brady Kruse 11.

“Saddler had a nice game, but we need to get others to step it up,” said Brown. “We need Devon (Holmes) to get it going for us again.”

PRESSURE DEFENSE — Trey Saddler hounds a New Haven guard Saturday in the Hermann Tournament. New Haven won, 54-52.