From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
MANHATTAN, Kan. — A fourth-quarter scoring drought by St. Mary’s-Colgan proved to be the difference as Berean Academy posted a 44-32 victory over the Panthers in the KSHSAA Class 2A boys basketball state championship Saturday night at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Panthers owned a 27-26 lead after Christian Smith’s field goal in the opening seconds of the fourth stanza, but the Panthers didn’t score again until Smith connected for a 3-pointer with 1:25 left.
In between, Berean Academy tallied 11 unanswered points to open a 10-point margin. The Warriors outscored Colgan 18-5 in the closing 6:42.
“In the fourth quarter we got into a little foul trouble with our two leading scorers, Andy Farmer and Jesse Watt,” Colgan coach Wayne Cichon said on his postgame radio show. “That takes away some of our defensive intensity.”
Smith finished with 12 points to lead the Panthers (22-3), and Farmer scored nine. Colgan played in its ninth consecutive state championship game and placed second for the sixth time.
Lonnie Penner had 18 points for Berean Academy (24-1), which won its first state basketball crown.
Girard girls 45, Holton 39
SALINA, Kan. — Bouncing back from Friday night’s semifinal loss, Girard took control in the first half and trimmed Holton 45-39 in the Class 4A girls basketball third-place game at the Bicentennial Center.
The Trojans (24-2) expanded a 10-5 first-quarter lead to 30-14 at halftime.
Hadyn Herlocker and Carly Twarog scored 10 points apiece for Girard, and Jill Lutz had 10 points for Holton (24-2).
Girard’s 20-game winning streak ended in Friday night’s semifinals with a 51-40 loss to Concordia. Twarog and Herlocker scored nine points each.
Concordia won its 51st consecutive game, but the Panthers’ bid for a repeat state championship ended Saturday night with a 52-49 loss to Cheney.
