Bayless Advances to Southside Classic Championship in Nail-Biting Win Over St. Mary’s

MEHLVILLE – When it comes to boys basketball, two things are for certain.

The Bronchos are going to play an exciting game against whatever opponent they face, and head coach Pat Triplett is going to yell when somebody makes a mistake.

Like death and taxes, those are just the facts of life in Bayless Bronchos basketball.

“Coaching basketball is my passion, I love it,” Triplett said. “I’m hard on them I know. But if I let up, then they might think they’re good or something, and then they won’t work as hard.”

Well, demanding the Bronchos’ best paid off Wednesday night in the semifinals of the Southside Classic at Mehlville High School, as Bayless held off a furious late charge by St. Mary’s High for a thrilling 50-48 victory.

“It goes back to what I’ve been telling my kids all along,” Triplett said. “We have the potential to be good this year, but being young we’re going to make mental mistakes, and down the stretch we made some. But I always tell them after, that was a nice win.”

Nail-biting is another way to describe Bayless’ victory over St. Mary’s, as the Dragons rallied back from a 13-point deficit to pull to within four points with less than a minute left on the clock.

Then, after a steal at midcourt, Bayless’ Muhamed Poljo fouled St. Mary’s’ Kevin Hennessy on a three-pointer, which the 5’10 junior made, for a four-point play chance that could’ve tied the game.

Triplett yelled at Poljo, loud enough for nearly the entire gym to hear him, “you never foul a jumpshooter!”

Fortunately though, Hennessy missed the free throw and Bayless sophomore Edin Mehmedovic grabbed the rebound to keep the Bronchos ahead 49-48, with 21.8 seconds left in the game.

Sophomore Excell Harris, who had made two free throws to give Bayless its four-point lead with 43.2 seconds left, was fouled again on Bayless’ next possession, and made one-of-two foul shots to make the score 50-48, with one last chance for St. Mary’s to tie or possibly win.

But Bayless was able to hold on, as St. Mary’s senior Jon Connelly, who finished with a game-high 24 points, missed an open three-pointer that would’ve won the game had it gone in, but instead clanked off the backrim to secure the Bayless win.

“That kid’s a really a good player,” Triplett said. “We’ve been going against him for four years. I’ll be real glad once he graduates, and we won’t have to see him again.”

Patrick Triplett, Jr., the coach’s son, lead Bayless with 19 points, and Mehmedovic added 16 points and 12 rebounds, as the Bronchos improved to 3-0 on the season, and advanced to the championship game of the Southside Classic.

Bayless will take on Saint Louis University High in that championship game on Friday night, at 8 p.m., at Mehlville High School.

The Bronchos defeated SLUH in last year’s Southside Classic, which was the first time Bayless had ever won the championship, and ended the Jr. Billikens’ two-year run of tournament titles. 

“I think we saw tonight, how good we could be and how bad we could be,” Triplett said. “But in order to win it, you’ve got to be in it. So we do have a chance. But if the sophomore mistakes pop up like they did tonight, then we won’t have a chance.”