YATES CENTER — The Yates Center High boys let a home matchup with Altoona-Midway slip away in a 50-48 loss.
Turnovers, a rushed offense and poor rebounding plagued the Wildcats (4-13), allowing the Jets to stay in the game on second-chance points.
Yates Center was never out of the game and fought until the final seconds.
“Despite losing with them making a putback at the end, that’s not where we lost the game,” said Yates Center head coach Lane Huffman. “Throughout the entire game we gave them too many second chance points, we turned the ball over unforced, and we rushed our offense several times. We also missed eight free throws.”
Cash Cummings hit a couple three’s and a layup and Emmett Brittain also added on a layup in the first to help Yates Center go ahead, 12-10.
The teams traded points in the second quarter as Altoona-Midway was led by William Stackhouse’s nine points in the first half.
Emmit George banked in a trio of layups and Cummings hit another three and layup in the second for Yates Center.
The score was knotted 24-24 at the half.
“Despite the errors, we were still in the game with a chance to win,” Huffman said. “I credit my guys for battling. They didn’t quit.”
It was the same story in the third quarter with the teams scoring 17 points apiece. The Wildcats were led by Cummings’ seven points and the Jets were helped out by Stackhouse’s nine points, including a pair of three-point buckets.
Yates Center and Altoona-Midway were tied up heading into the fourth, 41-41.
The Wildcats were ultimately downed by a final minute two-point basket from Jacob Meigs to put the Jets ahead for the win, 50-48.
“In a close game it really comes down to which guys are going to do the little things, and not make mistakes. Altoona Midway did more of the little things,” said Huffman.
Cummings led Yates Center’s offense with 20 points while George and Brittain each scored eight points.
Yates Center hosts Crest on Friday at 6 p.m
