Go
Saints!

Friday
March 29th, 2024

malcolmhugotonMalcolm WIltshire looks to make a pass against Hugoton Tuesday in The Big House. Wiltshire and the Redskins fell behind by 17 points ealry in the third qaurter and fought back before Hunter Hatcher missed a three pointer at the buzzer in a 55-52 loss. L&T photo/Earl WattBy EARL WATT

Leader & Times

Liberal’s best offensive approach may be running no set offense at all.

With their backs against the wall and trailing 33-16 early in the third quarter, the Redskins relied on their athleticism more than their offense, and that along with a full court press allowed the Redskins to cut Hugoton’s lead to a single point after Alex Lopez drained a three pointer midway through the fourth quarter, but Hugoton was able to score just enough to prevent the Redskins from taking the lead, and Liberal fell 55-52.

After Lopez hit a three to cut the lead to 45-44, Hugoton’s Sawyer Harper made a basket to push the lead back to three, and Hugoton connected on another shot to jump to a five-point lead with 2:59 to play.

Harper sunk what appeared to be the dagger when he drained a three-point shot with 2:10 to play to give the Eagles a 52-44 lead.

But the Redskins responded with a three from Hunter Hatcher, and after a defensive stop, Hunter Hatcher dropped in a two-point shot on a cut to the basket with 42 seconds to play to cut the lead to 52-49.

Hugoton extended the lead back to five with a basket by Haden Daharsh, but Lopez cut the lead to two with a three pointer with 18 seconds to play.

Liberal was forced to foul with 6.7 seconds to play, and Harper had a chance to put the game out of reach with two free throws.

But he missed the second, an the Redskins took a time out with five seconds to play.

Hunter hatcher launched an uncontested three at the arc as time expired, but the shot missed, and Liberal fell 55-52.

Hunter Hatcher led the Redskins with 12 points. Alex Lopez, Fabian Lopez and Syris Dunlap each had nine.

“We weren’t ready to play early,” Liberal coach Ryan Petty said. “They made shots early,  and we didn’t. We didn’t defend hard in the half court, and that put us in a situation to be in scramble mode. We turned them over. It got us moving a bit.”

But the woeful shooting in the first half allowed Hugoton to build the 33-16 lead.

“We were 0-13 from three in the first half,” Petty said. “We were six of 31 from the floor. We kept shooting and kept missing. That put us in a big hole. But we played our tails off in the second half.”

Liberal (1-1) travels to Olathe West (2-1) Friday.

EARL WATT • Leader & Times

 

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