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BOYS HOOPS: Webb City falls short in Raider Classic title game

By:
Jason Peake

FRONTENAC, Kan. — The Webb City Cardinals settled for the runner-up plaque at the Four State Raider Classic.

Edmond Santa Fe built a double-digit lead early in the game and never relinquished it en route to a 52-41 victory over Webb City on Saturday in the annual event’s championship game inside Frontenac High School.

“This game will help us down the road,” Cardinals coach Jason Horn said. “That was a good team we played, so this one will help prepare us for districts. This was good competition for us. I thought our guards did a good job of handling their pressure, so we learned from this game.”

The Cardinals were attempting to repeat as tourney champs, but a lack of offense and foul trouble were too much to overcome, and Santa Fe never trailed in this one.

“We had open looks, but we didn’t capitalize,” Horn said. “I think you have to give Santa Fe credit. They had a good game plan defensively. They blew some things up that we were trying to do. But with that said, we just didn’t capitalize when we had open looks early in the game.”

In the first meeting between the schools, the speedy and athletic Wolves from Oklahoma finished the first quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 16-6 lead. 

Webb City started the second quarter on a 10-3 surge. Alex Martin scored seven points before Holton Keith knocked down a corner trey to trim Santa Fe’s lead to three.

But the Wolves responded with seven straight points to once again go up 10. A 3-pointer from Joe Adams cut Webb City’s halftime deficit to 28-19. 

The Wolves doubled up the Cardinals in the third period, 14-7. 

While the Cardinals struggled with empty possessions, Santa Fe scored the final eight points of the period to take a 42-26 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Two Webb City starters, Martin and Keith, both fouled out in the final frame.

However, the Cardinals didn’t go down quietly. 

Webb City outscored Santa Fe 15-10 over the final eight minutes, and two free throws from Jonah Spieker and a pair of 3-pointers from Barron Duda trimmed the Cardinals’ deficit to 10 with 1:21 to play.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the late burst was too little, too late. 

“I have to give our kids credit,” Horn said. “They didn’t quit. They kept battling. We kept trying to compete and we played physical.”

Webb City fell to 13-4 on the season.

The Cardinals went 14-for-41 on field goal attempts (34 percent), including 5-for-19 from beyond the arc.

Duda scored 14 points and Martin added 12 for Webb City. Eli Pace had seven points and three assists.

Duda and Martin were both named to the all-tourney team.

The Wolves made 18-of-44 field goal attempts (41 percent). 

Kaysen Gipson scored 15 points for the Wolves and Drelen Nero added 13.

Santa Fe had a slight advantage in rebounds (31-26). Webb City had 17 turnovers to Santa Fe’s 14.

Webb City will host Hillcrest on Tuesday night in a non-conference clash inside the Cardinal Dome.

 

FULL STATS: Webb City HS (webbcitycardinals.com)

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