The Sudan Hornets’ varsity basketball team began play Thursday morning at the Way Out West Tournament in Whiteface, as they took down Shallowater’s JV squad, 42-39.
Bryson Richardson picked up a steal with 5:28 to go in the opening quarter, taking it down court on the fast-break, dropping in the floater from the left side to put Shallowater in front, 2-0. With 3:17 left to play in the opening quarter, Caleb Groetken grabbed a steal and dropped in a fast-break lay-up to tie the game, 2-2.
On the other end, Williams was fouled on an attempt by Wyatt Parker, earning a trip to the line. He converted one-of-two shots from the line, but Parker responded with a three from the top of the key to put the Hornets in front, 53, with just under three minutes to go in the first quarter.
Richardson drove the right side for a Shallowater lay-up, but with under a minute to go in the quarter, Groetken picked up a steal and took it to the hoop for a fast-break lay-up, and Aspen Reyher dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Groetken, stretching their lead to, 9- 5. However, Witten Kincaid would drop in a lay-up, drawing an andone foul on the play. He converted the free throw to cut Sudan’s lead to, 9-8, heading into quarter number two.
Reyher drove the left side for a lay-up to open the second frame, but Kincaid answered with a three from the right elbow to tie the game, 11- 11. Kyler Edwards dropped in a layup for Sudan, but Blair answered on the other end with a lay-up to keep the game tied, 13-13, with 6:11 to play in the half.
Groetken knocked down a three from the right wing, as Shallowater took a time out to talk things over with 4:59 to play in the first half. Out of the break, Jacob Baker drained a three from the right wing, pushing Sudan’s lead to, 19-13. With under two minutes to go in the half, Alex Moravcik was fouled on an attempt by Baker and made one-oftwo shots from the line to trim the lead to, 19-14.
Groetken dropped in a put-back off of his own miss, but Richardson answered with a three from the right elbow to make it a four-point Sudan lead, 2117, going into the locker room at halftime.
Richardson opened the scoring in the third quarter with a three from the right elbow and Blair followed it up with a put-back to give the Mustangs a one-point lead, 22-21, with 4:55 to play in the quarter. Brian Delgado drove the right side for a lay-up for Sudan, but Shallowater answered with a bucket to keep a one-point advantage, 24-23.
Blair dropped in a lay-up off of the inbound pass from Salinas under their basket, stretching the lead to, 2623, with 3:25 to play in the quarter. Reyher dropped in a floater in the lane, off of the assist from Groetken, drawing an and-one foul on Willamson. He missed the free throw, leaving the score, 26-25.
With under 30 seconds to play in the third quarter, Salinas drained a three from the left wing, but in the closing seconds, Kye Polk was fouled on the floor and sank both free throws to make it a one-possession game, 2927. Groetken would steal the inbound pass, dropping in the lay-up as time expired in the quarter, tying the game, 29-29, heading into the final quarter of play.
Blair was fouled on a putback attempt and made one-of-two shots from the line to give the Mustangs a one- point lead, 30- 29. Richardson drove the lane, dumping it off to Moravcik for a lay-up and Moravcik followed it up with a floater off the glass in transition to stretch the Shallowater lead to, 34-29, as Sudan took a time out with 6:27 to play in the game.
With 4:28 to play, Blair drove the right side for a lay-up and on their next possession, Richardson was fouled on an attempt by Groetken. He made oneof- two shots from the line, pushing the lead to, 37-29, with 3:55 left to play. On the other end, Reyher was fouled on an attempt by Kincaid and sank both free throws to cut the lead to, 37-31.
Shallowater took a time out with 2:29 to play, and out of the break, Blair dropped in a put-back off of a miss by Williams, but on the other end, Groetken was fouled on an attempt by Williams, earning a trip to the line. He made the first shot, but missed the second, however, Reyher gathered the offensive rebound, and Groetken would be fouled again on an attempt, this time by, Salinas, with 1:45 to play. He made the first shot and missed the second, but Baker grabbed the offensive rebound and dropped in the put-back to make it a four-point game, 39-35.
Brian Delgado drove the lane kicking it to Parker for a lay- up off of a Shallowater turnover to make it a one-possession game, and Baker followed it up with a three from the left corner, off of the assist from Reyher to give Sudan the lead, 40- 39, as Shallowater took a time out with 45.9 seconds to play in the game.
Out of the break, Brian Delgado and Baker would each split a pair of free throws, as Sudan went on to take the contest, 42-39, in the first round of tournament play. The Hornets were led by Groetken, who netted 13 points. Baker tallied nine points, while Reyher chipped in eight points and Parker contributed five points. Brian Deglado added three points, and Polk and Edwards each finished with two points in the contest.