The Blair Bears varsity boys basketball team ends the Louis Central game on top on Feb. 4, with a final score of 61-51. This game also marked senior night for the boys basketball team honoring: Cooper Sorensen, Easton Bosanek, Nelson Kosch, Alex Just, and John Mckeon. This win brings the Bears to 9-8 and drops Louis Central to 9-7.
Louis Central’s freshman Carter Thielen (#0) starts the game with a layup. The Bears senior Cooper Sorensen (#10) sinks a three-pointer, giving the Bears a lead 3-2. Louis Central’s sophomore Charles Schaben (#12) hits a three-pointer in return. The Bears’ junior Bo Meier (#34) makes a layup to tie the game 5-5. Louis Central’s senior Parker Stessman (#11) and junior Jimmy Scott (#14) each make a three-pointer. The Bears’ freshman Brevin Leggott (#12) makes a layup to make the score 11-14. Louis Central’s freshman Brooks Bond (#1) and senior Jamison Olson (#5) each make a layup. Scott (#14) hits a three from the corner to end the first quarter 11-21, Louis Central up.
Meier (#34) starts the second quarter by sinking a three-pointer from the corner. Louis Central’s senior Aidan Johnson (#3) makes a layup making the score 14-23 the Bears trailing. Sorensen (#10) made a layup. Louis Central’s freshman Evan Lillie (#23) makes a two-pointer from the free-throw line. Leggott (#12) made one of his two free throws and later took the ball down the court and made a layup to make the score 19-25. Schaben (#12) makes a layup to battle against the Bears. Leggott (#12) returns by sinking a three-pointer and making a layup later in the quarter. An honorable mention for the Bears was junior Aidan Slominski (#30) who kept the defense strong throughout the game. The Bears ended the first half down by only three 24-27.
“I come in as the defensive guy, I do what I can to help the team…I just love playing with my teammates, especially when Kalan, Brevin, and Bo knock down shots like we can’t be beat,” Slominski said.
Leggott (#12) starts the second half with a layup making the Bears down by only one. The Bears’ Slominski (#30) and Leggott each made a layup putting the Bears up against Louis Central 30-27. Sorensen (#10) and Leggott both added a layup to the Bears’ score continuing their run. The Bears’ freshman Kalan Steinback (#32) makes a layup making the score 36-27 Bears up. Thielen (#0) makes a two-pointer attempting to fight back against the Bears. Leggott (#12) adds another layup and makes both free throws on a fouled missed layup on the next possession. Stessman (#11) goes to the free throw line and makes both of his free throws. Sorensen gets fouled, taking the ball down the court and making both free throws, scoring 43-37. Scott (#14) hits two three-pointers, tying the game at 43. During the game, stand-out defensive player Andrew Smutny (#20) was a key teammate to the Bears. Sorensen (#10) gets fouled and makes one of his two free throws to put the Bears on top 44-43 to end the quarter.
“Coming into the game we knew we had to play good defense so they couldn’t do much, and so we kept pushing through that,” Smutny said.
Bond (#1) hit a three to start the third quarter and battle back against the Bears. Steinback (#32) sank a three-pointer and made his free throw making the score Bears up 48-46. Sorensen (#10) made a layup. Scott (#14) responded by hitting a three-pointer making the score 50-49 Lewis Central trailing. Lewis Central’s junior Carter Lobaugh (#30) makes a layup putting Lewis Central up by one. Sorensen (#10) adds another layup giving the lead back to the Bears. Leggott (#12) makes both of his free throws making the score 54-51 Lewis Central trailing. Steinback (#32) sank a deep three-pointer with 53 seconds of the game left. Meier (#34) makes a layup putting the Bears up 59-51. Sorensen seals the win by making both of his free throws ending the game Bears up 61-51.