Hyre, Dolata Deliver in OT as Bucks Outlast Keystone 59-54

Buckeye used late-game shot-making and clutch free throws to escape Keystone with a 59-54 overtime win Saturday night in a non-conference matchup at Keystone High School in LaGrange.

In a true back-and-forth contest, the Bucks forced overtime on a deep 3-pointer from senior guard Jacob Snyderburn in the closing seconds of regulation, then secured the win at the line and on the defensive end. Buckeye outscored the Wildcats 7-2 in the extra four minutes, leaning on composure, ball security and key stops to close out the five-point victory.

Snyderburn finished with 12 points, all coming from beyond the arc, and did most of his damage in the fourth quarter. He knocked down four 3-pointers in the final frame, including the game-tying triple with about 15 seconds remaining to erase Keystone’s narrow lead and send the game to overtime. His perimeter shooting ignited the Bucks’ offense in the closing minutes after a tightly contested first three quarters.

Once the game moved to overtime, Buckeye turned to its guards at the foul line. Austin Hyre led the Bucks with 14 points and calmly sank two important free throws in the extra period to give Buckeye separation on the scoreboard. Forward Turner Dolata matched Snyderburn with 12 points and also stepped to the stripe in overtime, hitting two crucial free throws that helped the Bucks maintain control down the stretch.

Defensively, Buckeye produced one of the night’s defining plays in the closing moments of overtime. Guard Zak Stough came up with a clutch steal as Keystone tried to cut into the deficit, then went the other way and knocked down free throws to effectively seal the outcome. That sequence capped a strong defensive effort in the extra session, where the Bucks limited the Wildcats to just one field goal and protected the glass to prevent second-chance opportunities.

The first four quarters featured multiple lead changes as neither team could create sustained separation. Buckeye’s ability to respond to each Keystone run kept the Bucks within striking distance, setting the stage for Snyderburn’s late 3-pointer to extend the game. From there, experience and poise at the line proved decisive, with Hyre, Dolata and Stough converting under pressure.

With the 59-54 win, Buckeye adds a hard-earned road victory to its non-conference resume and gains valuable late-game and overtime experience heading into the heart of the season.