Dieker guides Payson Seymour to MVIT championship

MENDON, Ill. — Maybe it was the tournament championship his team had just won.

Or the appreciative response he was hearing from those who packed the gym at Unity High School.

Or just possibly it was him soaking in all that is good about high school athletics on a warm December night. 

“This is what we live for,” said Payson senior Bryan Dieker, who was basking in the moment of the Indians’ hard-earned 47-45 victory over Unity in Thursday’s finals of the 22nd Mississippi Valley Invitational Tournament.

Dieker was named the event’s outstanding player following a 15-point effort that helped lift Payson’s record to 11-3. The 6-foot swingman led the Indians in scoring during their three MVIT tests, averaging 15.3 points per game.

“Bryan is the heart and soul of our team,” Payson coach Tyler Duschinsky said.

And not only because of his scoring and other analytics. It’s the intangibles that Dieker provides — for a team that now owns a nine-game win streak — that set him apart.

Dieker is the obvious leader on the floor and thrives in high-pressure situations. In fact, the more pressure the better.

“It was wild, it was crazy,” Dieker said. “I was just happy I was able to help our team.”

Make no mistake about it, however, Payson had to hang for dear life down the stretch. The Indians scored five of the final eight points to break from a 42-42 tie with a little more than three minutes remaining, and then watched a long-distance heave from Unity (7-9) miss its mark at the final buzzer.

Payson looked like it would coast to its fifth MVIT championship since 2011 when it erupted for a 20-10 lead after one period, only to score just 27 points the rest of the game. 

“We hit our shots early in the game, then they stopped falling,” Dieker said.

The Indians, who actually trailed 40-39 midway through the fourth quarter, kept their heads above water most of the final eight minutes by making nine of 10 free throws.

Duschinsky lauded Unity for its comeback. 

“Unity’s) defensive pressure really caused us some problems,” he said. “(Unity coach) Keith (Carothers) is a helluva coach.”

Carothers said his club simply could not completely dig itself out of the early disadvantage it helped create. Arguably the biggest game-long problem for the Mustangs centered around turnovers. Unity turned the ball over 21 times, compared to nine for Payson.

“We’ve played well in a lot of stretches this season, but haven’t yet put together four solid quarters,” Carothers said. “We’re heading in the right direction. We just have to have everyone show up at the same time.”

Melvin McMillen poured through 23 points for Unity, which had been seeking its third MVIT title and first since 2016. McMillen scored 15 of his points in the second half. The 6-foot-4 junior led all rebounders with eight, helping Unity own a 31-18 rebounding margin. Wyatt Neisen collared six rebounds for Payson.

“I think we’re about halfway to where we can be,” Duschinsky said. “I think we have another whole level to go, especially on defense.”

Payson’s victory over Unity was its second of the season. The Indians notched a 50-43 win earlier this month.

Payson defeated Rushville-Industry (53-13) and West Prairie (53-19) to reach the finals. Unity downed Bushnell-Prairie City (63-40) and Western (61-36).

Bushnell-Prairie City defeated Rushville-Industry 54-41 in the third-place game.

The only other player in the championship game to score in double figures was Payson’s Blake Schwartz with 12. Schwartz averaged 10.3 points per game in the MVIT.

McMillen, who like Dieker averaged 15.3 points per game in the tournament, joined Dieker on the all-tournament team, along with two other local players — Lane Barker of Payson and Cody Shaffer of Unity. Other selections included Jalen Conley of Bushnell-Prairie City, Mason Smith of Western, Bronson Bartlett of Rushville-Industry and Denver Mitchell of West Prairie.