By Don Ketchum

The boys from Florence and Phoenix Northwest Christian highs played 52 minutes of basketball in their first-round game in the Division III state tournament on Tuesday night (Feb. 14).

The math whizzes already have it figured out – four eight-minute quarters and five four-minute overtime periods – that’s 52 minutes.

Five overtimes?

Yes, indeed.

Visiting Florence, the 19^th seed in the expanded tournament, went home happy with a 65-64 victory.

The Gophers (22-9) advance to Friday’s (Feb. 17) second round against third-seeded Snowflake at the Northern Arizona University Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff. Tip-off is 4:30 p.m. Northwest Christian, which finished at 16-12, was the No. 14 seed.

“Anybody could have won this game,’’ said Florence co-coach Cy Henry, former long-time coach at Apache Junction. “Both teams played and played and played. They (Northwest Christian) deserved to win as much as we did.’’

The five overtimes tied for the second-longest game in state history.

On two occasions, six overtimes were played, by Safford and Morenci in 1964 and Mesa Red Mountain and Gilbert Highland in 2004. The other five-overtime contest was between St. David and San Simon in 1971.

Gavin Wood’s tip-in with seven seconds left in the fifth overtime provided Florence with the margin of victory.

It was his 3-pointer that got the Gophers back into the game after Northwest Christian scored two quick baskets to start the fifth extra session.

Northwest Christian’s loss took the steam out of a brilliant second-half and overtime effort by senior Hayden Anderson. He scored 24 of his 26 points after intermission, including four 3-pointers. Jacob Berry contributed 13 points.

Jeremy Verhagen, Florence’s 6-foot-9 junior post man, finished with 25 points, and Wood, a 6-3 sophomore, had 19. Wood in particular was relentless in his aggressiveness underneath the basket.

“We haven’t played a lot of close games this year, so this definitely was a big test for us,’’ Henry said. “Yes, we still have to go out and play on the road again (Friday), but at least we’re still playing.’’