Community secured a heart-stopping 63-61 victory over Peoria Manual in a Big 12 battle of the undefeated. The final three minutes of relentless basketball culminated in a game-winning shot and a defensive masterpiece, giving the Ironmen fans a game to remember.

When people recount the barn burner in years to come, one moment will undoubtedly stand out: Trey Birditt’s clutch three-pointer with just 7.6 seconds left.

Or maybe they’ll celebrate Kobe Walker’s heroic 29-point performance.

Yet, those moments are only snapshots in a much larger picture of an unselfish brand of basketball the Ironmen played in the game’s closing minutes.

Walker’s monster game was fueled by key assists from Owen Osborn, Marcus Russell and Birditt, who epitomized head coach Mr. David Witzig’s game plan of spreading the rock and dumping it into the Central Michigan commit.

Down six with just under two minutes left, Birditt delivered a highlight-worthy half-court assist to Walker, setting the tone for a fast-paced Ironmen offense.

As the clock ticked down, Community switched gears defensively, subbing players nearly every possession.

Andrew Naour and Russell brought defensive intensity, while sharpshooters Connor Smith and Chase Kasten entered to stretch the floor.

With Manual focusing on Smith and Kasten, Birditt capitalized, draining a critical three-pointer while being fouled. The junior guard’s confidence closed the gap to a single possession.

Community’s defensive grit turned the tide. A swarm of Ironmen forced a crucial turnover, leading to a Russell-to-Walker assist that trimmed the deficit to 60-59 with a minute to play. Instead of taking an open floater, Russell’s unselfish pass exemplified Ironmen basketball.  

You won’t find a number one on any Ironmen jersey for a reason: Ironmen basketball is unselfish.

On the defensive end, the Ironmen stifled Manual’s offense again. Kasten contested a layup, Walker drew a foul, and his free throw tied the game at 60. Though his second shot missed, Russell soared for the rebound, keeping Community in the fight.

After a timeout, the Rams’ leading scorer, Joshua Humbles, hit one of two free throws, giving Manual a 61-60 edge with 23 seconds remaining.

That’s when Birditt delivered the moment of the night.

Standing just in front of the Normal Community logo, Birditt faked Humbles into the air, calmly stepped up and drained a three-pointer to put the Ironmen ahead 63-61 with 7.6 seconds on the clock.

Despite the dramatic shot, the game was far from over. Manual had time to attack the paint, but Russell, Naour and Birditt forced junior Tony Bradford into a difficult drive. Waiting in the lane was Walker, who swatted Bradford’s shot out of the air, and Kasten secured the rebound to seal the win.

The Ironmen’s final defensive stand showcased their total team effort. Bradford’s path was closed by the towering presence of Walker and Kasten, who shut down the paint and secured the victory.

It was a script of unselfish offense, relentless defense, and composure under pressure—pure Ironmen basketball.