B-Team 4th At NWKL Tourney
On Saturday, December 21, the St. Francis Junior High B-Team competed in the semi-final and final rounds of the Northwest Kansas League Basketball Tournament in Atwood. The Indians defeated Greeley County 32-30 on Thursday, December 19 to earn the right to play on Saturday. Though the young Indians hustled hard and worked together well, they lost both contests played on Saturday to finish 4th in the NWKL Tourney. In the semi-final round, St. Francis was defeated by Rawlins County 10-27. In the third place game, the Indians lost to Wallace County in a competitive contest 31-38.
Rawlins County jumped out to an early lead in the semi-final contest placing the Indians at a large deficit. Seventh grader Ryan Sramek scored 11 points for the Buffaloes in the first period. The Buffs also got scores from Ashton Rickford (8th) and Wesley Reuber (8th) to lead 0-18 at the close of the first period. The outcome had been decided. The Indians fared must better in the rest of the game never allowing more than 4 points to be scored in any quarter. Lucas Raile drained a trey late in the second period to erase the zero from the Indians' side of the scoreboard. St. Francis trailed 3-21 at halftime.
Lucas Raile and Jesus Quesada made second half baskets for the Indians but Rawlins County won the game 10-27.
Ryan Sramek lead all scorers with 12 points for the Buffaloes. Wesley Reuber added 8 points. St. Francis was led by Lucas Raile with 8 points. Jesus Quezada added 2.
Rwlins County made 4 of 13 from the line and had 4 fouls. St. Francis did not attempt a free-throw in the game and was whistled for 9 fouls.
In the third-place game against Wallace County (WC) , the Indians received much better scoring balance. Five Indians scored in the contest. Wallace County scored the first basket getting a offensive rebound basket by Tristyn Reynolds (7th). Lucas Raile soon tied the game with a driving basket. A left-wing bucket by WC's Christian Aquino (6th) gave WC a shorted-lived advantage, but Ethan Graham tied the game with a shot from the left-wing. After an Aquino free-throw, Reynolds added a basket after an offensive rebound on a free-throw to lead 4-7. Raile followed with a steal and score from the left-wing. The Wildcats would close the quarter outscoring the Indians 2-7. Late in the quarter, Raile added a top-of-the-key deuce moving the score to 8-14. St. Francis trailed 8-16 at the first quarter break.
Joel Gilliland scored the only basket for the Indians in period two. Wallace County received buckets from Aquino and Reynolds to lead 10-20 at halftime.
St. Francis trimmed the lead in the third period. Jesus Quezada made a basket from the free-throw area to open the period. Joel Gilliland followed with a left-wing deuce. At 1:42, WC called time-out searching for some offense. Lucas Raile's left baseline score trimmed the deficit to 16-20. Raile then added a right-wing trey moving the scoreboard to 19-20. On the next WC possession, Reynolds drained a trey moving the Wildcats' advantage to four. St. Francis used a time-out late in the quarter, but neither team scored again. WC led 19-23 after three quarters of action.
Lucas Raile swished a right-wing trey for the first score of the final period. Following a WC turnover, Ethan Graham added a score from the left elbow giving the Indians their first (and only) lead of the game with 4:02 to play. At 3:38, WC used their 4th time-out. With 2:35 remaining, WC's Kemper Benisch (6th) sank a left-wing trey returning the lead to the Wildcats (24-26). Moments later, an Indian turnover resulted in a lay-up for Reynolds. Ashton McAtee added a shot from the left-wing moving the Indians back within two. WC responded with a 6-point run receiving two free-throws by Oskar Okeson (7th), a high-post bucket from Tyler Wagoner (6th), and a right-wing basket by Aquino. The flurry moved the deficit to 26-34. In the final minute-plus, Joel Gilliland added two free-throws to the St. Francis total, but they were soon answered by two charity tosses by Aquino. WC increased their advantage to ten (28-38) on a nice assist from Reynolds to Wagoner in the lane. Graham added a final trey for the Indians. St. Francis had played hard, but lost to Wallace County 31-38.
Tristyn Reynolds led all scorers with 15 points. Christian Aquino added 9 for the Wildcats. WC made 5 of 12 from the line and had 6 fouls.
St. Francis was led by Lucas Raile with 14 points. Others scoring for the Indians were Ethan Graham 7, Joel Gilliland 6, Ashton McAtee 2, and Jesus Quezada 2. The Indians made 2 of 6 from the line and had 11 fouls.
