CARLYLE — Breese Central junior Conlan Haar had a hunch.

Actually, it was more like a premonition.

Haar, a reserve guard, felt he might be called upon at some point during Friday's Class 2A Carlyle Regional boys basketball final against rival Columbia.

"I didn't say it, or tell anybody," Haar said. "I just felt like I might end up playing a big part in this game."

Did he ever.

Haar scored on a driving layup at the buzzer in double overtime to lift the Cougars to a 57-55 win in an instant classic at Carlyle High.

The Cougars (27-6), who have won 11 in a row, captured their fourth successive regional crown and will face Benton (28-4) in the semifinal round of the Carterville Sectional at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

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Haar, who stands 5-foot-10, stole the ball from Columbia senior forward Sam Donald, a 6-8 difference maker, with just over four seconds left. Haar sailed in all alone and calmly banked the ball in off the glass to send the large Breese Central gathering into a frenzy.

"There's nothing better in the world than this," Haar said.

Haar served as the most unlikeliest of heroes. He had scored just 24 points all season long and saw very little playing time after tallying 16 points in a season-opening win over Champaign Central on Nov. 25.

He was only in the game after three of the Cougars regulars foul out. Griffen Becker, who finished with 21 points; Kaden Rakers, who runs the show on offense; and Easton Becker were all disqualified.

That put Cougars veteran coach Jeremy Shubert in a quandary. He had to rely on several players that were not used to crunch time minutes.

"Sometimes you've just got to go and make plays and that's what they did," Shubert said of his bench crew.

Haar wasn't the only player to step out of the shadows and into the limelight.

Junior winger Bryce Wieter pumped in a season-high 11 points including a fall-away 3-pointer that tied the game at 55-all with 34 seconds left in the second extra session.

"I just went out there and believed in myself," Wieter said. "Every one one of us stepped up. That's just the kind of team that we are."

The Cougars' gutsy finish came with three players on the court that had seen very little action during the regular season. The five on the floor at the end of the night had accounted for just 19 points in the game.

Haar's play resulted in his only points of the game. It began when Jackson Kampwerth hassled Donald into turning into Haar, who used his quick hands to slap the ball loose.

"For him to do that, it's just awesome," Wieter said. "I grew up with him, he's my buddy and we'll never forget this."

Breese Central recorded its seventh successive win over Columbia (26-7).

The Eagles, behind Donald's 26 points, rolled out to a 33-23 lead midway through the third period.

The Cougars used a 9-0 run to get within striking distance before the teams traded leads over the final nine minutes.

"I did think we were in control," Columbia coach Mark Sandstrom said. "But when you look at Central's fourth quarters this season, they always close well. It's a perfect example of why they call it March Madness."

Breese Central senior Preston Baker scored on a stick-back with 83 seconds left in the fourth quarter to tie the contest. Donald sank a pair of foul shots with 53 ticks on the clock in the first OT to set the stage for another extra period.

"These guys are just so resilient, I've had so much fun this year coaching these guys," Shubert said. "I tip my hat to every one of those guys on that bench."

The intensity-filled contest lasted 124 minutes and was played before a standing-room-only crowd of 1,200 in northern Carlyle.

Wieter also added a conventional 3-point play in the first OT that put his team up 50-48. He came in averaging 4.6 points per game.

"The coaches always tell us to be ready, you never know when you're going to be needed," Wieter said. "Tonight was a perfect example of that."

Class 2A Carlyle Regional, final: Breese Central 57, Columbia 55 (2OT)

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