Second-half surge sends THS boys to Osawatomie Tournament finals
The Tonganoxie High boys basketball team is in good spirits these days.
Tonganoxie dropped Central Heights, 45-41, Friday, advancing the Chieftains to the Osawatomie Tournament championship Saturday in the OHS gymnasium.
The win moved Tonganoxie to 2-0 on the season, already equaling last year’s win total (2-19).
Central Heights was rolling in the second quarter leading 21-11 before a 7-0 Chieftain run — two points by Hughes and the last five by Gabe Belobrajdic — moved THS within three, 21-18, at halftime.
Central Heights then went on a 5-0 run after intermission, but Tonganoxie again countered with a 10-2 run, tying the game at 28. Jeff Hughes accounted for eight of those points, including two three-pointers.
Hughes hit another crucial three in the fourth quarter, breaking a 38-38 tie. A Belobrajdic put-back increased Tonganoxie’s lead to 43-38. Central Heights answered with a three-point shot in the final minute, but Tonganoxie held on for the four-point win, as Hughes scored a game-high 19 points.
Belobrjdic, who scored seven, said the team continues to push forward in the early season.
“We’re playing a lot more as a team this year,” Belobrajdic said. “We’re congratulating everyone as a team.”
Central Heights made five three-point shots, compared to Tonganoxie’s three.
“They made a lot of good shots,” Belobrajdic said.
THS will play either St. James of Lenexa or Osawatomie in the tournament finals at 8 p.m. Saturday in Osawatomie.
For more on that game, check back to The MIrror’s Web site.