Scott City uses three-pointer to down Norton
Scott City, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–It was a three-point night for the Scott City Beavers on Wednesday night in their Class 3A Sub-State Semi-final game against the Norton Blue Jays inside the Scott Community Events Center. After a brief tie at two, it would rain three’s for the Beavers, a season-high 18 to be exact, as they advanced to their second straight sub-state championship game on Saturday with a 71-41 win.
While the game was tied early on, it was all Scott City on the scoreboard. The Beavers would use a 15-3 run over a three-minute stretch to build a 17-5 lead with 3:41 left in the first quarter. Norton would get it within eight with 2:40 left, before Scott City (18-4) scored the next five points to lead 22-9 after the first frame. They scored the first six points of the second quarter to lead 28-9 with 6:51 left before halftime. The Blue Jays responded with a 13-4 run over a two-minute stretch to get it to within 32-22 midway through the second stanza. Even though the Beavers maintained the lead, it felt like Norton (16-6) was still very much a part of the game. Scott City took a 37-23 lead at the break, and over the first five and a half minutes of the second half, they went on a 19-1 run to blow the game open, leading a 56-24 lead with 2:26 remaining in the third stanza. The Beavers took a 30-point lead into the fourth quarter at 59-29, initiating the continuous clock for the final quarter. Both teams scored 12 points in the final eight minutes, as Scott City took a 71-41 victory.
Avery Radke would score a game-high 20 points, with 18 coming in the first half, while Junior Meza added a career-high 18 points and Jackson Rumford added 16 points, and grabbed 11 rebounds for another double double. Scott City’s 18 three’s were a season high, eclipsing their mark of 13 they set against Colby on February 17. The Beavers made their lone free thrown and tied a season-low with five turnovers. Norton got 13 points from Eli Jones and 10 from Tyce Melvin, as they went 8-14 from the foul line and committed just eight turnovers.
It was the first meeting between the schools since 1985, when the Beavers upset second-seeded Norton in sub-state play 56-52. It was also the first match up between the schools in Scott City since 1981, when the Blue Jays won. The Beavers lead the series 4-1 since 1971, all in postseason play.
Coach Brian Gentry Postgame
Box Score
Norton 9 14 6 12–41
Scott City 22 15 22 12–71
Norton (16-6): Melvin 3 4-6 10; Jones 5 0-0 13; Murray 2 0-0 5; Vahling 0 0-0 0; Kats 1 3-4 5; Ediger 0 0-0 0; Backman 1 0-2 2; Bailey 0 0-0 0; Ambrose 0 0-0 0; Stewart: 2 2-3 6; Team: 14 9-14 41
Scott City (18-4): Metzger 0 0-0 0; Ruelas 3 0-0 8; Stoecklein 0 0-0 0; Radke 7 0-0 20; Faurot 1 0-0 3; Meza 6 0-0 18; Tarango 1 0-0 3; Irvin 0 0-0 0; Wren 1 0-0 3; Rumford 7 1-1 16; Bailey 0 0-0 0; Gossman 0 0-0 0; Team: 26 1-1 71
Three-Point Goals: Norton 4 (Jones 3, Melvin 1); Scott City 18 (Radke 6, Meza 6, Ruelas 2, Faurot 1, Tarango 1, Wren 1, Rumford 1); Turnovers: Norton 8, Scott City 5; Fouls: Norton 6, Scott City 15; Fouled Out: None.
Scott City will face Goodland for the sub-state championship on Saturday in Scott City. The Cowboys rallied from a late six-point deficit to defeat Colby 55-53 for their fifth win over the Eagles. Goodland has defeated Scott City twice this year. Lakin defeated Hoisington 63-35, as they will face Beloit, who went to Holcomb and won 66-57 over the Longhorns.
