HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt Cubs lost 68-52 in their final Tri-Valley League contest to Fredonia on Thursday.
The Cubs held their own through the first half, but a slow third and fourth quarters doomed their two-game win streak with Labette slated for Friday.
“We played well. We played hard and battled all night,” Humboldt coach Kason Siemens said. “There were a few charge calls that were 50-50 calls that could have gone our way and made a difference.”
A 3-pointer from junior guard Luke Coronado and a pair of field goals from sophomore guard Connor Newman and junior forward Thatcher Mueller kept Humboldt in contention early. Trailing 14-13 after the first quarter, the Cubs picked up the pace in the second with a field goal and a 3-pointer from senior guard Mason Sterling, a pair of field goals from sophomore forward Kolton Hanson and a Newman 3-pointer.
After halftime, the Yellowjackets went on a 19-7 tear with sharpshooting accuracy beyond the arc that further aggravated Humboldt’s efforts.
“Teams are going to have to take us seriously,” Siemens said. “When we’re shooting and we’re on, we’re probably one of the tougher teams in our substate.”
With the loss, the Cubs’ record fell to 5-17 overall. They finished fifth in the TVL at 2-6.
Mueller ended the night with a team-leading 12 points, followed by Newman with 11 and Coronado with nine.
The Cubs were at Labette Friday. The results were not available by press time. Humboldt will learn who it faces in next week’s regional tournament Saturday, when KSHSAA officials release the brackets.
“Labette will prepare us well, but our whole year has prepared us well,” Siemens said. “We have played a lot of the bigger schools. I don’t even think I can count on my hand how many 2A schools we’ve played. We’re the biggest sleeper in our substate. Our whole schedule prepared us for this.”
