Playing their second Sun Drop Romp Christmas tournament game, the Boyd Broncos nearly missed advancing to the silver bracket.
Needing a win to move to 1-1 in Pool D, the Broncos lost in the final seconds to Monterey 45-43 on Tuesday.
Boyd had one final shot at the buzzer to force overtime, but senior Brody Fernandez couldn’t find the mark on a short jumper and the Broncos were beaten on their home floor.
Boyd trailed 32-30 entering the fourth quarter, but senior J.T. Morgan kept the Broncos close by scoring eight points in the final period.
The Broncos made a big defensive stand when Monterey tried to ice the game on its final possession. With less than 30 seconds to go, Boyd forced a missed shot and got the ball back with a chance to tie or take the lead.
Coach Chris Sullens got the ball in the hands of his senior guard and Fernandez went charging into the paint. Fernandez drew contact on his last-second shot, but a foul wasn’t called and the shot rimmed out.
Boyd took an early lead playing in the friendly confines of J.K. Stanley Gymnasium.
Fernandez and freshman Collin Stubblefield scored four points apiece as the Broncos took a 10-5 lead after the first quarter.
Morgan began to take over offensively for the Broncos in the second quarter as the big post put in seven points in the period.
A last-second momentum swing in the first half went in favor of the road team though.
Boyd was leading 24-18 with  less than a minute to play and held for a last shot. The Broncos were able to get an open layup, but the shot was errant and Monterey pushed the ball back up court quickly.
With time ticking down, a Monterey player drilled a long 3-pointer to cut the lead in half and send Boyd sulking back to its locker room.
Sophomores Jake Driver and Christian Barrett each made 3-pointers in the third quarter, but it was the only offense for the Broncos as their three-point halftime lead turned into a two-point deficit entering the final quarter.
The Broncos went toe-to-toe with Monterey down the stretch, but the final result didn’t go the way the home team would’ve liked.
Morgan finished with a team-high 15 points for Boyd. Fernandez added 12 and Driver finished with seven.
Boyd was back in action at home against the Middle Tennessee Heat yesterday in the bronze bracket of the Sun Drop Romp.
The Broncos fell 56-39 to their fellow Middle Tennessee Athletic Conference foe. Boyd will return for its final tournament game today at 10:30 a.m.