PLEASANTON — Crest High’s Lancers are two-time defending champions of the Pleasanton High Blu-Jays Mid-Season Tournament. The Lancers earned a third consecutive trip to the basketball tournament’s championship game with a 37-19 over Jayhawk-Linn High’s Jayhawks Thursday night.
Humboldt High’s Cubs were trying to go from last to first in the tournament but were derailed by Central Heights High’s Vikings. The Cubs finished eighth and were winless a year ago. They dropped a 52-23 decision to the Vikings in Thursday’s other semifinal game.
The Lancers (9-2) play the Vikings (8-2) for the 2010 title at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Pleasanton High’s north gym. The Cubs go for third place against the Jayhawks, which is a rematch of last year’s seventh-place game, at 4 p.m. Saturday in the south gym.
Uniontown High’s Eagles were playing in the consolation side of the bracket Thursday. The Eagles (4-6) pushed past Prairie View High’s Buffalos 49-43. They will play in the fifth-place game against host Pleasanton (2-6), a 50-36 winner over Northeast Thursday, Saturday at 2:30 in the north gym.
Crest 37, Jayhawk-Linn 19
After a 9-9 first quarter, Crest kicked up its defensive play a level and outscored Jayhawk-Linn 28-10 the rest of the game. The Lancers only gave up two points in the second quarter and one point in the third.
Bryan Newton led the way for the Lancers with 18 points. The Lancers went 6 of 12 from the free-throw line.
The Jayhawks got six points each from Taylor Kellerman and Clayton Dierksen. They were 3 of 6 at the line.
Central Heights 52, Humboldt 23
Humboldt fell behind early and trailed 16-5 after one quarter. That didn’t concern Cub head coach David Taylor, but what didn’t happen next, did.
“We were all right down 16-5 but we didn’t pick up our intensity level from there. We did not match their (Central Heights) intensity,” Taylor said. “Central Heights is a solid team and we learned about ourselves and what it takes to be a good team and play with good teams.”
The Vikings continued to roll with a 19-3 run in the second period. Central Heights outscored Humboldt 17-15 in the second half.
Humboldt got seven points from Tevin Strack and five rebounds from Noah Thornbrugh. The Cubs were 4 of 6 at the free-throw line.
Cody Sluder fired in 21 points for Central Heights. Russell Hampton added 14 points. The Vikings hit 7 of 10 free throw attempts.
Humboldt (6-3) plays Jayhawk-Linn, the two teams that were winless until they met in last year’s tournament. Jayhawk-Linn won 60-51 for seventh-place.
Uniontown 49, Prairie View 43
The Eagles trailed the Buffalos 10-8 at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, the Eagles had gained a four-point lead, 22-18. Uniontown held on to the lead, 28-26, going into the fourth quarter where the Eagles outscored the Buffalos 21-17 to win.
Dushaun Robinson worked inside and out to scored 17 points. He had one three-pointer among his field goals plus was 4 of 4 at the free-throw line. Zach Travis dropped in 9 of 10 free throw attempts on his way to 12 points.
Ryan Welder scored 11 points for Prairie View. Jordan Kees had nine points.
Humboldt (5-3-9-6—23) (FG/3-pt): McCall 1/1-0-5-5, Strack 3-1-4-7, Johnson 1-0-3-2, T. Gean 0-1-2-1, Thornbrugh 0-2-1-2, Nickell 0-0-1-0, Coronado 3-0-0-6. TOTALS: 8/1-4-16-23.
Central Heights (16-19-8-9—52) (FG/3-pt): Conaway 1/2-0-1-8, Sluder 9-3-0-21, Leach 0-0-2-0, Mills 1/1-0-1-5, VanZant 1-0-1-2, Hoskins 1-0-1-2, Hampton 5-4-1-14. TOTALS: 18/3-7-7-52.
Crest (9-12-10-6—37) (FG/3-pt): Boone 0-0-2-0, Stinnett 2-1-4-5, Morton 0-1-2-1, Hammond 2/1-0-1-7, Decker 0-0-1-0, Newton 7-4-0-18, Stoneking 2-0-0-4, Ramsey 1-0-0-2. TOTALS: 14/1-6-10-37.
Jayhawk-Linn (9-2-1-7—19): J. Rowe 0-0-1-0, B. Rowe 0-0-1-0, Sunderland 0-0-1-0, Kellerman 3-0-2-6, Sluder 1-1-2-3, Mann 2-0-0-4, Jager 0-0-2-0, Gabbert 0-0-2-0, Coleman 0-0-1-0, Dierksen 2-2-3-6. TOTALS: 8-3-15-19.
Uniontown (8-14-6-21—49) (FG/3-pt): Ramsey 0-0-1-0, Travis 0/1-9-2-12, Wiley 1-0-0-2, Kuns 1-0-3-2, Dixon 2/1-2-1-9, Labbe 0-0-2-0, Esslinger 1-0-1-2, Johnson 2-1-3-5, Robinson 5/1-4-3-17, McAnulty 0-0-3-0. TOTALS: 12/2-16-19-49.
Prairie View (10-8-8-17—43): Brown 0-1-1-1, Hines 2-0-3-4, Grigsby 0-0-1-0, Hoyt 2-2-4-6, Watson 2-2-3-6, Kees 3-3-5-9, Welder 4-3-3-11, Phillips 3-0-4-6. TOTALS: 16-11-24-43.
Area boys have mixed results at tourney
