May 16, 2024

Longhorn basketball pick up road sweep in Scott City

Scott City, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–Two GWAC rivals met up at the Scott Community Events Center on Friday night, as Scott City played host to the Holcomb Longhorns for Winter Homecoming. It would be the Longhorns picking up a pair of wins, as the Holcomb girls would use a big second half run in a 55-29 win, while the boys rallied in the fourth quarter to take a 47-44 victory.

Holcomb Girls 55, Scott City 29
For two and a half quarters, the game would be a game that was tightly contested. Holcomb would get hot and never look back in the third quarter. It took the first 4:42 of the game before a team scored, as Scott City led 2-0, while the Lady Longhorns responded with a 9-2 run to lead 9-7. The Lady Beavers responded with six of the next eight points to lead with 4:46 left in the half at 13-11. Holcomb (12-5, 2-2 GWAC) took a 16-15 lead at the break, and led 23-21 with 4:33 left in the third quarter following a Lady Beaver three-point play. That’s when the Lady Longhorns took over for good. They closed the final half of the third frame on a 16-2 run and led 39-23 heading into the final period. After Scott City (9-8, 3-1) scored the first points of the fourth quarter, Holcomb scored 16 unanswered to lead 55-25 with 3:14 left. The Lady Beavers scored the final four points during a continuous clock, as the Lady Longhorns won 55-29.

Halle Jones as scored at least 20 points in the last three games against Scott City, as she had 24 points, while Jera Kruleski added 10. They were 6-9 at the free throw line with 12 turnovers. Scott City was led by Kendall Gentry with nine points, as they went 6-11 from the foul line and had 12 turnovers. 

With the win, Holcomb has now won six straight in the series and leads the all-time series 36-27.

Holcomb  9 7 23 16–55
Scott City 7 8   8   6–29

Holcomb (12-5, 2-2): Magana 0 0-0 0; Deniston 4 0-0 8; VanPelt 0 0-0 0; Wickwar 3 0-1 8; Galliart 1 0-0 2; Basham 0 0-0 0; Kruleski 4 1-2 10; Soukup 1 0-0 2; Ruiz 0 0-0 0; Jones 8 2-2 24; Resendiz 0 3-4 3; Ruda 0 0-0 0; Team: 21 6-9 55
Scott City (9-8, 3-1): Gentry 3 3-4 9; Fox 0 0-0 0; E. Felker 1 0-0 2; Metzger 0 0-0 0; Irvin 4 0-0 8; Lewis 2 3-5 7; Cramer 1 0-0 3; K. Felker 0 0-0 0; Team: 11 6-11 29

Three-Point Goals: Holcomb 7 (Jones 4, Wickwar 2, Kruleski 1), Scott City 1 (Lewis 1); Turnovers: Holcomb 12, Scott City 12; Fouls: Holcomb 13, Scott City 12; Fouled Out: None.

Girls Audio Recap

Amy Felker Postgame

Holcomb Boys 47, Scott City 44
This game was even for the most part. The difference would come down to the free throw line. Holcomb jumped out early 8-3 in the first five minutes, only to see the Beavers respond with seven of the final nine points of the period to tie the game at 10. Scott City would take their first lead at 14-13 with 6:42 left before the break, only to see the Longhorns rally for eight straight to go up 21-14 with two minutes left before the break. The Beavers would come back with eight straight in the final 90 seconds to take a 22-21 halftime lead. In the second half, Scott City (9-8, 1-3 GWAC) led 26-21 with 5:46 left in the third frame. They wouldn’t score for nearly five minutes, despite a long scoring drought for the Longhorns. Holcomb (11-6, 3-1) went over eight minute without a point, and over 10 minutes without a field goal. They tied the game late in the third quarter at 26. The Beavers would however take a 34-30 lead into the fourth stanza. In the final quarter, the Longhorns would cash in at the line, going 6-8 in the final period. They took the lead for good with 1:51 left on a three-point play at 42-40. They used a 7-0 run in the in a minute span to lead by a 44-40 score with a minute left. Scott City got to within 45-44 with 12 seconds left, as Holcomb hit a pair of free throws, and a Beaver three-point shot went wide right, as the Longhorns came out on top 47-44. 

Leading the way for Holcomb was Drayton Knoll with 16 points, while Kaeden Hardy had 12 and Brody Deniston added 11. They were 16-21 from the free throw line and finished with 13 turnovers. Scott City got 12 points apiece from Avry Noll and Alex Tarango, as the Beavers were only 3-7 from the line and had 12 turnovers. 

Holcomb has now won four straight in the series, and now leads the all-time series 34-33. Three of the last four wins in the series by the Longhorns saw the Beavers lead going into the final quarter.

Holcomb  10 11  9  17–47
Scott City 10 12 12 10–44

Holcomb (11-6, 3-1): Densiton 2 7-7 11; Ke. Johnson 0 0-0 0; Hardy 3 5-5 12; Ko. Johnson 0 2-4 2; Herrell 1 1-2 3; Leonard 0 0-0 0; Brown 1 0-0 3; Knoll 7 1-4 16; Team: 14 16-21 47
Scott City (9-8, 1-3): Ruelas 1 0-2 3; Stoecklein 2 0-0 6; Noll 5 2-3 12; Vulgamore 2 0-0 5; Tarango 4 1-2 12; Rumford 3 0-0 6; Bailey 0 0-0 0; Radke 0 0-0 0; Vance 0 0-0 0; Team: 17 3-7 44

Three-Point Goals: Holcomb 3 (Hardy 1, Brown 1, Knoll 1), Scott City 7 (Tarango 3, Stoecklein 2, Ruelas 1, Vulgamore 1); Turnover: Holcomb 13, Scott City 12; Fouls: Holcomb 14, Scott City 23; Fouled Out: None.

Boys Audio Recap

Brian Gentry Postgame

Scott City will be on the road on Tuesday at Colby, while Holcomb visits Cimarron Tuesday.