By Fred Solis
The Hutchinson Tribune
DODGE CITY—The game was right there for No. 5 Andale down the stretch as they overcame a 12-point deficit to go up by two with 1:31 left in the game against No. 4 Hugoton in the opening round of the 4A state basketball tournament at Dodge City last week. In the end, turnovers bit the Indians and the Eagles escaped with a 56-55 victory.
Throughout the first half Hugoton held the upper hand, leading 13-9 after the opening period and 25-15 at the half. But the Indians began to flip the script in the second half as they trailed 40-32 at the end of the third quarter.
“Our first half, Hugoton’s offensive quickness got to us and they were able to penetrate and really get to the rim because it just seemed like we were a step slow or a step out of position,” said Andale Coach Jeff Buchanan.
“Offensively, our movement wasn’t crisp and we floated too far away from the ball so that when a guy was open, the pass was too long or we couldn’t make the pass. This ended up forcing us to shoot contested shots and not get the looks we really wanted.
“I thought towards the end of the third, we started to click and our defense was much more responsive to each other and more reflective of how we expected to play during that game,” Buchanan said.
A trey to open the fourth quarter by Cruz Kaiser trimmed the Eagles’ lead to 40-35, and a basket by Jack Horsch on Andale’s next possession cut the lead to three. Then Noah Stanley drilled a 3 to bring the Indians within one of the Eagles, 39-40.
“Cruz and Noah hit some big 3s that gave us some life and provided a spark that we needed, along with Jack Horsch’s strong attacks to the basket and getting to the foul line (hitting 8-of-10). You could really feel the momentum turn each trip down the court,” Buchanan said. “All the way to the end, our guys were focused and gave themselves a chance to get the win.”
Moments later a 3 by Horsch, who finished with a team-high 17 points, tied the game at 44. Horsch tied it again at 47 with a pair of free throws and Sam Harp sliced his was to the basket to tie it at 49. Then free throws by Hunter Grimes and Sam Keupker put the Indians on top 53-51 with 1:31 left in the game.
But Hogoton’s Adrian Adigun drained a 3 at 1:10 to put the Eagles back on top, 54-53. Costly back-to-back Andale turnovers and a foul put the Eagles at the line, where David Gamez extended their precarious lead to 56-53.
“Even though we kept our turnovers relatively low (13), they definitely came at points in the game where we had opportunities that we just didn’t connect,” Buchanan said.
Harp cut through the Hugoton defense for another basket to make it 56-55 ,and Andale called a timeout with 6.8 seconds left. Harp finished with 13 points.
Another foul sent Hugoton back to the line with 5.4 on the clock, but the Eagles missed both, giving Andale one last crack to win the game. Horsch found Grimes just beyond the arc on the left side for a last-second shot, but it bounced off the rim and time expired in the game along with the Indians’ season.
“When I saw Horsch pass it over to Grimes and he got a good look from the left wing, I won’t lie I thought it was in when it left his hands,” Buchanan said. “It’s nothing to hang their heads about though, sometimes a few things don’t go your way and you take that opportunity to learn from it.
“These seniors will continue to have a lot of success in their future as they move on to the next chapter in their lives. Walking away, they can hold their heads high knowing they have positively contributed to the success at Andale. Thank you, seniors and their families, for four great years representing and supporting Andale High School,” Buchanan said.
Andale ended the season 18-6.