Clarkton's Tyler Criglar (14) shoots over North Pemiscot's Grant St. Cin during the first half of Thursday's Tri-County Conference Tournament semifinal game at Gideon. [Click to enlarge]

GIDEON, Mo. -- After a 32-point loss to Clarkton earlier in the season, few people expected the North Pemiscot Mustangs to have a chance against the Reindeer in the semifinals of the Tri-County Conference Tournament.

Guess again.

The Mustangs battled from start to finish against top-seeded Clarkton, staying within seven points of Clarkton the final three quarters before coming up just short in a 69-65 loss here Thursday.

In Thursday's other semifinal, third-seeded Campbell upended No. 2 Cooter, 87-74.

"I think our kids played really, really hard tonight," North Pemiscot coach Jamie Johnson said. "We lost tonight, but to play a program like Clarkton the way we did and have a chance to win the ballgame, that's basically all I can ask."

North Pem (9-12) briefly led late in the second quarter before the 'Deer took a 35-34 lead to the locker room.

Clarkton used its pressure defense to open the third quarter on a 9-2 run and push the lead to eight, but the Mustangs battled back to cut the margin to 49-46 entering the final period.

Josh Tomlin's bucket with 1:55 remaining cut the deficit to 63-61 for North Pemiscot before the Reindeer (21-1) scored six of the next eight points to seal the game.

"Our kids played extremely hard tonight," Johnson said. "Our kids knew going in that they would have to play at a higher level."

The Mustangs played a slower tempo of basketball to neutralize Clarkton's fastbreak game, holding the 'Deer in check and nearly taking the upset.

"We tried to do some things to take the air out of the ball a little bit and slow it down," Johnson said. "An uptempo game is definitely in their favor. They're a great ballclub. They deserve everything they get."

Grant St. Cin led North Pem with 16 points, while Parker Watkins added 15 and the duo of Tomlin and Michael Gilboe each pumped in 10.

Dustin Ferguson's 25 points led Clarkton, while Casey Redden and Justin Brown each tossed in 13 and Tyler Criglar finished with 11.

Clarkton and Campbell will meet tonight at 7:30 p.m. for the varsity championship at the tournament, while Cooter and Campbell's jayvee squads will play at 6 p.m. for the junior varsity championship.

Notes: Clarkton was 13-of-24 from the foul line Thursday, while the Mustangs ended up 3-for-4. ... The Reindeer connected on six 3s, led by four from Ferguson. ... North Pemiscot's performance Thursday -- and this season -- is all the more amazing considering the Mustangs were just 3-22 last season.

Campbell 87, Cooter 74

In Thursday's other semifinal, the Camels got 16 points and 11 rebounds from Chris Hahn to avenge an earlier defeat and advance to tonight's title game.

Campbell will be looking for its first win of the season over Clarkton, as the Reindeer defeated Campbell, 76-69, in the finals of the Clarkton Holiday Invitational and took a 92-65 triumph last month.