EUGENE, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson boys basketball saw it’s magical season come to an end in a 67-53 loss to St. Elizabeth in the Class 1 quarterfinals on Friday.
The Cavaliers closed the first quarter strong to take a five-point lead into the second period. The Hornets (18-6) fought back to take a 31-30 advantage into halftime before using a 9-0 third-quarter surge to fuel a 46-38 cushion with one quarter to play. Thomas Jefferson cut the lead to six early in the fourth quarter before the Hornets scored 12 unanswered to put the game out of reach.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said to SoMo Sports when asked his final thoughts on the season. “These boys played their hearts out all season long. It is one of the top seasons in our school’s history, and one none of us will soon forget.”
Thomas Jefferson finishes the season with a 20-6 record after reaching the quarterfinal round of the state tournament for just the second time in school history.
The Cavaliers graduate seniors Dhruv Gheewala, Noah Hamlett and Kelsey Atteberry.
“This year’s team was led by three seniors who each had very different roles,” Coach Myers said. “However, the success our program had this year was because our seniors bought into their roles and that set the tone for the rest of the team to follow. The impact they had for our team and our program was phenomenal. They will undoubtedly be missed.”
SCORING LEADERS
Gheewala led Thomas Jefferson with 24 points in his final game as a Cavalier. Caden Myers added 10 points, while Drew Goodhope and Jay Ball each scored eight.
Brock Lucas led St. Elizabeth with a game-high 25 points, while Carson Kesel added 12. Dylan Wobbe finished with 10.
GAME ACTION
St. Elizabeth built an early 10-7 lead before Thomas Jefferson answered with eight straight points to take a 15-10 advantage. Goodhope started things off with a 3-pointer from the top of the key before Ball grabbed his own miss for a putback score, drawing contact and converting the and-one free throw for a three-point play. Ball followed with a basket in the paint on the next possession to put the Cavaliers on top 15-10.
Ball converted another three-point play later in the quarter, with Dhruv Gheewala added a 3-ball and a driving score to give Thomas Jefferson a 23-18 lead after the first period.
The Hornets opened the second period on a 9-3 run to regain the lead with 4:30 to play in the first half. After Carson Kesel opened the second quarter with a trey, TJ’s Tyler Brouhard answered with a 3-pointer of his own. St. Elizabeth’s Lucas made a third-chance 3-ball and buried another triple on the next trip down the floor to put the Hornets on top 27-26.
The lead changed hands three more times before Lucas made a long fall-away mid-range jumper at the buzzer to send the Hornets into the intermission with a 31-30 lead.
Thomas Jefferson scored the first four points out of the half, but St. Elizabeth stole the momentum right back with a 9-0 run to take a 40-33 lead. Lucas highlighted the run with four points, while Kesel added a 3-pointer.
Lucas knocked down a 3-pointer before adding a three-point play moments later to push the lead to double digits for the first time, 46-35, at the 1:54 mark.
A 3-ball from Myers with 18 seconds left sent the Cavaliers into the fourth trailing 46-38.
After Myers scored to open the fourth with a transition layup, the Hornets scored five straight points to rebuild the double-digit advantage, 51-40, with 6:08 left.
Goodhope answered with five straight of his own points for the Cavaliers, including a 3-pointer, but St. Elizabeth responded with a momentum-sealing 12-0 run to build an insurmountable cushion with less than three minutes to play. Jace Kesel highlighted the run with six points.
St. Elizabeth will meet Mound City in the Class 1 semifinals with a noon matchup on March 12.
