Mexico's Mya Miller (23) looks to make a play during a home game against Kirksville on Friday night in North Central Missouri Conference play. Mexico won 41-40. [Langston Newsome/The Mexico Ledger]

Mexico girls basketball coach Ed Costley had to remind himself that his Bulldogs were only down 35-30 with 5 minutes, 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter Friday night. 

Admittedly, it felt like Kirksville was dominating in the second half. Mexico finished the last four minutes of the third quarter without leading scorers Logan Blevins and Mya Miller due to foul trouble, yet it entered the final period only down by three.

“Guys, we’ve got this look like we’re down 30,” Costley told his players. “It’s only a five-point ballgame, and how we’re still in it, I have no idea.”

The Tigers handled Mexico’s full-court press well the entire game and the Bulldogs were struggling without transition opportunities. Mexico ramped up the pressure, but with every trap, Kirksville had an answer.

When Elyse Johnson finished a layup through contact and completed the and-1 to put the Tigers up 39-32 with 1 minute, 19 seconds left in the North Central Missouri Conference game, everything felt lost.

Over the next 79 seconds, Mexico outscored Kirksville 9-1 and escaped with a 41-40 win.

“I think we’re showing those glimpses of mental toughness in segments,” Costley said. “We can’t let our offense dictate who we are going to be on defense. We have to let it be the other way. The defense has to be there every night.”

The comeback started with a post touch for Blevins, who converted a layup to bring the Bulldogs within five. Then Miller deflected a pass near midcourt that led to a transition layup for Reghan Smith.

Mexico was down 39-36 and only 20 seconds had come off the clock.

It was back-to-back turnovers from the Tigers that gave Rachel Kristofferson a chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer. It bounced off the front of the rim and the Bulldogs were forced to begin fouling.

The Tigers went 1-for-4 over two trips to the line as Kirksville squandered a chance to put the game away. Smith took the ensuing inbounds the length of the court and drained a 3-pointer to cut the Tigers’ lead to one with 19 seconds left.

After Kirksville missed a pair of free throws and was called for a foul, the Bulldogs had an inbound under their own basket with eight seconds left.

“It was supposed to be a back screen for Blevins and we went the opposite way on it,” Costley said. “But it ended up in our favor.”

Miller got the inbounds pass, fumbled the ball and threw it at the rim as the clock ticked down.

“She hit my arm and I dropped the ball,” Miller said. “I just picked it up, looked at the basket and went up praying that the shot would go in.”

The layup sank with less than five seconds left and Mexico secured its first lead since late in the second quarter. Miller had six of her 12 points in the final period. Smith led the way with 15 points in the victory, while Blevins chipped in 11.

It was an exciting finish that capped off a celebratory night for the Bulldogs. Costley was honored for his 400th career win, which came Jan. 18 against Centralia.

The Bulldogs (11-5) are scheduled to play at Marshall at 6:15 p.m. Friday.

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