DeKalb dictated its Chuck Dayton Classic semifinal against Hononegah on Monday with its defense from the opening tip, but a desperation 3-pointer by Jameson Gilbertson at the buzzer flipped momentum and denied the Barbs a return to the Chuck Dayton Classic final in a 56-52 loss.

“I think we played as hard as we could,” said Myles Newman, who scored a game-high 21 points. “That was one of our best games of the season. We worked our butt off, playing defense, getting in the gaps, stopping their best players on defense. That’s all we can do.”

DeKalb led 34-29 late in the third, the only time it was more than a one-possession game in regulation in the second half. The Indians tied it up for the first time at 42 with 1:40 left in regulation on a pair of free throws.

Newman broke the tie on a layup with 31.2 seconds left, and the Barbs got a stop on the other end.

Aaron Ziga made one of his two free throws with 11.7 seconds remaining to push the lead to 45-42. Gilbertson, who missed his first four 3-point attempts, banked home his shot at the buzzer.

DeKalb coach Mike Reynolds said he’s a believer in fouling the other team with a three-point lead, forcing them to shoot two free throws, and said it was a bad call on his part not to do so.

“I rolled the dice the other way because we had guys with four fouls,” Reynolds said. “I keep telling myself, ‘You foul up three, you foul up three,’ and then we don’t do it.”

Gilbertson also came up big in overtime. He hit a 3 with 2:04 left in overtime that gave the Indians the lead for good at 50-47, then followed it up 40 seconds later with a bucket to push the lead to five.

Newman said it’s hard to bounce back after a dagger like Gilbertson’s 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“As a team, we’re DeKalb made,” Newman said. “We’re supposed to stay resilient. Not perfect, but strong during moments like that. We just couldn’t get it this time.”

Newman and the Barbs came out red hot against the Indians (13-1), hitting their first three 3-pointers. Newman hit two in the first 30 seconds.

The Barbs built the lead to 11-3 after Derrion Straughter blocked a 3-pointer, chased the rebound down at the other end and got the layup for an easy two points.

But a minute later, he picked up his third foul and sat out the rest of the first half. He still finished the game with a team-high eight rebounds, but only scored three points.

After the Indians cut it to 17-15 on a putback by Damariea Briggs, who finished with five points and 13 rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth, neither team led by more than four the rest of the way.

“You’re never going to be perfect. We don’t ask our guys to be perfect,” Reynolds said. “But with that effort, that toughness, that’s something to build on. That’s a winning effort. They were able to bank one in or make one lucky play, and we have to find a way to get one more stop.”

Ziga finished with 17 points for the Barbs. Oba Fasalojo finished with 16 to lead the Indians, who will face Neuqua Valley for the title at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The loss will keep the Barbs from winning the tournament for the third straight year. They’ll face United Township at 6 p.m. Tuesday for third place.

The Barbs (5-6) beat the Panthers (9-4) in DeKalb on Dec. 13, 38-32.

“We know we’re going to have momentum,” Newman said. “We played UT back a few weeks ago. We won against them. It’s going to be a hard battle, because they’re going to come and try and punch us back.”