INTERSTATE RIVALS: Northeast, Crest battle in Missouri

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Sports

January 19, 2017 - 12:00 AM

LIBERAL, Mo. — The Northeast Arma and Crest rivalry has evidently grown too exciting for the state of Kansas to contain anymore.
The Three Rivers League combatants met up in Wednesday’s consolation semifinals at the Tony Dubray Classic in Liberal, Mo., with the Vikings looking to settle a score from earlier this season when the Lancers knocked off the Vikings in a hotly contested game.
Wednesday’s game was another slugfest with the two teams going back and forth, but the Vikings got the last jab in and escaped the Show-Me State with a 60-52 victory.
The Viking full-court press is what spelled doom for the Lancers, who were playing without starting point guard Austin Hendrix.
“I think at times we handled the pressure really well, but a times we got rattled,” Hermreck said. “When we got rattled, they capitalized.”
Despite having enough turnovers that Hermreck lost his voice by the end of the first quarter, Crest rallied from an early deficit and built an eight-point advantage midway through the second quarter.
The Vikings mounted a run of their own near the first half and cut the lead to just 27-25 at halftime.
Northeast quickly flipped the lead back in its favor early in the third quarter with two consecutive baskets and  the two teams played to a stalemate until the end of the period with the Vikings holding a 43-41 leading entering the fourth.
In the fourth quarter, the Vikings depth began to pay dividends against the Lancers — who only played five players in the first three quarters, before an injury forced their first substitution in the fourth.
“When your legs get tired, your mind gets tired,” Hermreck said. “When your mind get tired, you turn it over and make bad decisions.  That is what happened.”
Northeast began the quarter with five straight points, before Crest star Hayden Hermreck answered with a bucket.
The teams traded scores then a Hermreck free throw made the score 50-46, but again Northeast had an answer. Two consecutive scores gave the Vikings their largest lead of the game to that point at 54-46.
Hermreck came right back at the three pointer to get back within five points.
On the ensuing possession, Hermreck stole the ball in the backcourt and raced back to try to further cut into the lead. The sophomore sailed into the lane and kissed a shot off the glass in as he and a Northeast defender collided.
Lancer faithful began to cheer as they thought their star would be heading to the free throw line with 2:24 left and chance to make it a one point game.
The official running back saw it differently though and signaled a charge against Hermreck and erased the basket.
From then on, it was all Vikings as the exhausted Lancers were clearly deflated following the controversial call.
A circus shot by Northeast freshman Matt Cashero found the bottom of the net and signified the final nail in the coffin for Crest as a parade of Viking free throws sealed the game at 60-52.
“We had a very emotional locker room,” Coach Hermreck said. “We are all on the same page and we all want the same thing. We will bounce back.”
Hayden Hermreck led the Lancers with 19 points while senior Nate Berry added 17.
Forward Caleb Stephens and Hayden Seabolt each had six points and Nick Vaughn chipped in three.
“I have been really pleased with where we are at this season,” Coach Hermreck said. “I just watched game film from the beginning of the year and even when we are playing bad, we are still improving each game.
“We just have to keep the kids’ heads up and make them believe in themselves, because they will bounce back and be fine.”

UP NEXT
The Lancers will play in the seventh-place game on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

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