Cold-shooting Beavers outlast Goodland in finale

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There were plenty of reasons for the Scott Community High School boys not to play well on Tuesday night.

They were coming off a very big win at Hays-TMP the previous night.

They were playing a Goodland team they had manhandled 71-37 in the opening game of the season.

And the Beavers knew they would see the same Cowboys on Monday in the opening round of sub-state tournament action.

Pick your reason - or your excuse - but the Beavers didn’t have their best game on Tuesday to close out their regular season.

Not even close.

And they still rolled to a ho-hum 67-45 win to cap an undefeated season in Great Western Activities Conference play.

“We can’t blame the road trip (to Hays),” says senior guard Braeden Robinson. “We need to come out and play every night the way we’re capable of. We didn’t do that tonight.”

Even though the outcome was never in doubt, it was obvious from the outset that this could be a tough night for the Beavers. Shot after shot - inside and outside - were rolling off the rim or dipping in and out of the basket.

After awhile, all head coach Glenn O’Neil could do was shake his head as his team hit an uncharacteristically low 47 percent (23-of-49) from two-point range and were 4-of-16 from beyond the three-point line.

“We played probably our worst half of the year and we were still up by 10 (points). So we weren’t in any real danger of losing, but it caught the boys’ attention,” says O’Neil. “It was a bad shooting night that continued into frustration. Better to have it happen this week than next week.”

O’Neil was perhaps more concerned with the defense that allowed Goodland opportunities to drive into the paint and to knock down six treys.

“We weren’t moving our feet and there were too many times we were reaching around,” says the head coach, noting that this was the second time in the last four games that a SCHS opponent had shot more free throws. SCHS was 9-of-11 at the line while Goodland was 9-of-18.

“And there were a number of fouls that weren’t called for either team,” he adds.

Big scoring runs, which have been a trademark of this team, didn’t happen.

Scott City’s longest scoring burst of the night was an 8-0 surge midway through the opening period that gave them a 12-2 lead. One of the highlights during that series saw freshman guard Trey O’Neil leaping across the baseline to save an errant pass and flip it back to Drew Kite who was waiting under the basket and finished off the play.

Kite, who finished with 18 points, added another rebound and putback with 2:12 left in the second period for a 27-15 score - Scott City’s largest lead of the half.

When junior guard Brett O’Neil opened the second half with a three-point play one could sense that the Beavers were coming out of the locker room with a little more determination. After connecting on just one trey in the first half, Austin Habiger, B. O’Neil and Tyler Hess drilled three shots from beyond the arc in the third period alone.

The three-pointer by Hess opened up a 52-30 lead entering the final period.

B. O’Neil finished with 17 points while Hess added 11.

While he wasn’t pleased with Tuesday’s performance, Robinson felt it couldn’t have come at a better time.

“This same thing happened last year in sub-state against Goodland. We fell behind, but we found a way to win,” says the senior. “I’m glad this game happened when it did. It was a good reminder of what can happen.”

It also provides a little added motivation when the two teams turn around and face each other again in sub-state.

“We’ll have another chance to show how well we can really play,” adds junior forward Joey Meyer.

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