Tonganoxie senior Brady Swedo kept his team in the game in the first half, scoring 18 points, including four 3-pointers. He finished the game with 20 points and was the only Tonganoxie player to finish in double figures.

“He was lighting it up — good player and a good shooter. I like him. He had good energy,” Basehor-Linwood Coach Mike McBride said. “I don’t know why we kept leaving him, but we did. When somebody’s on fire like that, my kids have to do a better job. We didn’t play very good team basketball (in the first half).”

The Bobcats (4-0 overall, 3-0 Kaw Valley League) increased the defensive pressure in the third quarter, holding Tonganoxie (1-3, 0-2) without a point for the first 3:30 of the quarter.

Just as Basehor-Linwood started to pull away, Bobcat junior and former Tonganoxie player Jack Dale — playing for the first time against his old team — went up for a dunk early in the third quarter and was fouled intentionally, landing on his back. One of the game’s subplots could have exploded at that point, but aside from some scattered applause from the Tonganoxie section — quickly squelched — while Dale remained on the ground, emotions remained under control.

“I’m just glad he got up, glad he wasn’t hurt, and everybody moved on,” McBride said.

Dale returned to the game moments later after Ben Hazel replaced him and made one of two free throws, part of a 12-0 run that gave the Bobcats, No. 4 in the latest KBCA Class 4A-I poll, control of the game.

Senior Patrick Muldoon led the Bobcats with 22 points, and junior Jahron McPherson added 20.

McPherson and Dale scored 14 of the Bobcats’ 18 first-quarter points as they took a five-point lead into the second quarter. Dale finished with 10 points, eight of those coming in the first half, just two days after not scoring in the victory against Piper.

“He was definitely more focused (against Tonganoxie) and was probably looking ahead a little bit when he was playing Piper. That’s pretty much what he said. He learned his lesson on that one.”

Both teams don’t play again until Jan. 6, when Basehor-Linwood plays host to Mill Valley, and Tonganoxie plays host to Piper.

Basehor-Linwood 79, Tonganoxie 43

BLHS (4-0 overall, 3-0 KVL)– Patrick Muldoon 8 6-6 22, McPherson 8 1-1 20, Dale 3 3-4 10, Fliger 4 1-2 9, Gorman 1 2-2 5, Gilliam 1 1-2 3, Hazel 1 1-2 3, Fisher 1 0-2 2, Ka. Tatkenhorst, Ku. Tatkenhorst 1 0-3 3, Drew, Sherley 1 0-0 2. 29 15-21 79.

Tonganoxie (1-3, 0-2) — Brady Swedo 7 2-2 20, Sommers 1 1-2 4, Hecht 1 0-1 2, DeVau 1 0-0 2, Smith 0 5-8 5, Staatz 1 0-0 2, Novotney, Rinne 2 2-2 6, Grey 1 0-0 2, Burge.

THS 13 15 8 7 — 43

BLHS 18 23 23 15 — 79

3-point field goals: BLHS 6 (McPherson 3, Gorman, Dale, Ku. Tatkenhorst); Tonganoxie 5 (Swedo 4, Sommers). Fouled out: None. Technical: Tonganoxie bench.