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McCook's season ends with 56-48 loss to Hastings in B-7 Subdistrict Tournament
LEXINGTON, Neb. -- No. 2 Hastings went on long scoring runs in each half.
The Tigers used an 11-0 run in the first half and another 23-6 run in the second half to fend off No. 3 McCook 56-48 in Monday’s B-7 Subdistrict nightcap at Lexington High School.
With the loss, McCook sees its 2017/2018 season come to an end with an 11-13 record. Hastings improves to 11-11 and will play Holdrege in tonight’s (Tuesday’s) B-7 Subdistrict title game.
Monday’s contest was the rubber match between these Greater Nebraska Athletic Conference rivals. Hastings blew out McCook 77-41 in the GNAC Tournament in late December, but the Bison responded with a 60-58 win over the Tigers two weeks later in McCook.
Bison head coach Jeremy Yilk said the history these two teams had this season meant Monday’s game would be very competitive.
“The first time they (Hastings) shot it so well and we hadn’t really gelled as a team yet. The second game, at home, we played more physical, shot better and were able to play our game. We knew that tonight’s game was going to come down to who would make key shots.”
The first half of Monday’s game was a tight affair as neither team could grab a big lead. McCook led 11-8 after the first quarter.
The Bison, however, would run into early foul trouble, as starters Morgan Fawver and Zach Schlager both recorded two fouls early to force their way to the McCook bench.
Hastings, meanwhile, went on an 11-0 run in the second quarter to take a 17-11 lead. McCook responded with 16 points in the quarter to tie the game at 27-27 going into intermission.
The difference in Monday’s game came at the start of the second half. Hastings started the third quarter on a 7-0 run to grab a 34-27 lead, then extended its advantage to 50-36 early in the fourth quarter.
“They had a flurry of shots go in and we had some decision making issues where we didn’t take the best shot, make the right pass or we had a turnover that fueled their transition game,” Yilk said. “They made us pay.”
McCook would not go quietly, as senior sharpshooter Clayton Stevens hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the Tiger lead to 50-42. Stevens then converted an ‘and 1’ opportunity, while Fawver hit a bucket to make it 52-47 late in the final quarter.
That five-point deficit was the closest McCook came, however. Hastings converted down the stretch, scoring four of the final five points, to preserve the win.
Stevens was the lone Bison in double figures with 16 points. Hunter Potthoff finished with nine, while Schlager was third with eight.
McCook finished 34 percent (16-of-47) from the field. The Bison were 34.5 percent (10-of-29) from 2-point range and 33 percent (6-of-18) from behind the arc.
With the season over, McCook will graduate five seniors from this season’s team. Potthoff, Schlager, Stevens, Hunter Hays and Frank Hernandez played in their final game Monday for the Bison. While the group was small in number, Yilk said their impact on and off the court was noticeable.
“They’ve been huge to our program. Whether it was the weight room and summer stuff or the countless hours in the gym, they did what they had to to be as successful as possible.”
Yilk said the team’s senior leadership played a vital role as well.
“The season didn’t go the way we wanted, but they didn’t let it bother them. They kept doing what they needed to for this team.”
Score by quarter
MCK (11-13) 11 16 9 12 - 48
HAS (11-11) 8 19 20 9 - 56
McCook scoring leaders
Stevens, 16; Potthoff, 9; Schlager, 8; Dugger, 4; Sehnert, 4; Hernandez, 3; Fawver, 2; Gross, 2.
Holdrege 85, Lexington 78
LEXINGTON, Neb. -- In the early B-7 subdistrict game Monday, No. 4 Holdrege’s offense clicked all game in an 85-78 upset over No. 1 Lexington.
The host Minutemen took a 23-18 lead at the end of the first quarter before Holdrege cut the deficit to 42-41 at halftime.
In the second half, Holdrege’s offense continued to click. The Dusters scored 20 in the third quarter, then another 24 in the fourth to score their eighth win of the season.
Lexington, which was 12-8 at the beginning of February, ended its season 12-12 and on a four-game slide. The 12 wins are the most by a Minutemen team since the 2003/2004 season.