Indians Lose Semi-Final Contest to Hanover
The Indians met a very strong Hanover team in the semi-final contest of the Kansas 1A-Division 1 State Basketball Tournament. The 22-2 Hanover Wildcats were very skilled from the top to the bottom of their roster. Though the Indians fought hard and played well, the Wildcats gradually pulled away from the Indians throughout the contest to win 44-64. Hanover went on to win the state basketball championship to add to their state championship in football (1A-Division II) earned earlier in the year.
The Indians only led twice in the Hanover game. The Indians took a 3-0 advantage after an opening trey by Tate Busse. On the next possession, the Wildcats fine guard Will Bruna answered from the left corner. The two treys were the only points scored in the first four minutes of the contest as the teams "sized each other up." Brock Waters added a free-throw for a 4-3 lead, but Hanover's Michael Jueneman drained trey from the left wing. The Wildcats' talent and skills were beginning to show, and soon a Hanover steal-two and a second trey by Jueneman, this one from the right side, moved the scoreboard to 4-11. Taylor Rogers drained a top-of-the-key trey (assist Jeremiah Neitzel) to trim the margin a bit, but Bruna followed with another trey. St. Francis called time-out at 1:07 to regroup trailing 7-14. On the next Indian possession, Neitzel swished a trey from the left corner (assist Busse). Hanover added two free-throws in the final moments of the first quarter to make the score 10-16.
Tate Busse scored on a drive to open the second period. Hanover's Daiken Stallbaumer followed with a top-of-the-key trey for the Wildcats. A jumper from the right-elbow by Brock Waters (plus one) moved the Indians within four (15-19), but the Wildcats added two more quick treys by Bruna and Stallbaumer opening the lead to double digits (15-25). The Wildcats had made seven treys in the first 10 minutes of action. Two Bruna free-throws increased the deficit to twelve (15-27). A Waters trey from the top-of-the-key trimmed the margin inside double-digits, but at 4:47, Jueneman added two free throws. Waters earned a stick-back basket moments later. Adam Zarybniky (6' 3" senior) then scored from the post for the Wildcats, and Carter Bruna (6' 0"sophomore) added a pair of charity tosses. At 1:50, the Wildcats earned an offensive rebound basket after three back-to-back offensive boards. The aggressive effort placed the Wildcats at a fifteen point advantage (20-35). The Indians trailed 24-35 at halftime after scoring the final two baskets of the first half.
Hanover's Adam Fritschi (6' 1" seinior) opened the third period with a stick-back basket. On the next possession, Tate Busse drained a trey for the Indians. At 6:40 Jueneman answered with the eighth Hanover trey of the contest. The scoring then slowed for a couple minutes. With about four minutes left in the third, Brock Waters added a pair of free-throws followed by a Bruna floater in the lane. Quinton Cravens added three-of-four from the stripe before the Wildcats scored again on an offensive rebound. Hanover called time-out at 2:06 leading 32-44. On the next Hanover possession, Waters drew a charge on Bruna's drive and later sank two more free throws. With 6.6 seconds remaining, Bruna drove for two more (plus one) giving the Wildcats a 36-50 advantage after three quarters of play.
With a fourteen-point lead, the Wildcats went into delay mode, using clock and extending possessions. Hanover's Adam Zarybnicky grabbed another offensive rebound and was fouled by the Indians. Zarybnicky made one-of-two. Tate Busse followed with a shot in the lane. (38-53). Each team would add only one more field goal. The Indians received a bucket from Waters on a spin-move in the lane. Bruna added a steal-two lay-up with 2:31 to go. The remainder of the games' points were made at the line as the Indians were forced to foul, and the Wildcats converted 9 of their final 10 free-throws to seal the win. At. 1:23, both teams cleared their benches. St. Francis lost to Hanover 44-64.Hanover's Will Bruna (6' 0" senior) led all scorers with 31 points. Michael Jueneman (6' 0" senior) added 18 and Daiken Stallbaumer (6' 1" sophomore) 8 for the Wildcats. Hanover made 27 of 64 from the field (42.2%). The Indians made 16-50 for 32%. Hanover made 17 of 19 from the free-throw line; the Indians were 19-of 25. Each team committed 18 fouls. The Indians committed 15 turnovers; the Wildcats had 11.
Brock Waters paced the Indians with 19 points, Tate Busse added 12, Quinton Cravens 7, Taylor Rogers 3, and Jeremiah Neitzel 3. Waters had 10 rebounds in the contest.
The loss moved the Indians into the third place game against Burlingame. Montezuma-South Gray defeated Burlingame 58-56 in their semi-final contest.
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