East Wichita Times

Braves Outlast Bluejays In Hillsboro

The Bluejays were back in Hillsboro as they played host to the Ottawa Braves. The Bluejays were coming off a hard road loss against the nationally ranked (2) OKWU Eagles. 

 In a game that never felt like a win was out of reach for the Bluejays, the Braves managed to keep the lead at least at arms reach for the majority of the game. The Bluejays couldn't find the needed momentum, and fell to the Braves 58-66.

 

Ottawa started the game off strong, as they scored the first six points of the game to take the early lead over Tabor. The Bluejays answered with a 15-2 run and led 15-8 with 8:57 left on the clock. Their seven point lead at that moment would be their largest lead of the game. 

The first half would provide a couple more spurts of offense by each team. The Braves responded to the Bluejays with with a run of 19-5, and retook the lead 27-20. The Braves would keep the early momentum and go into halftime leading 25-33. 

 

The Bluejays got a needed lift in the first half from their bench. David Moss (SR/Lawrenceville, Ga.) would lead the Bluejays in scoring for the first half. In just 9 minutes, Moss provided 8 points off 2-2 shooting from behind the arc, added 4 rebounds, and a steal. Kent Carroll Jr. (FR/Tallahassee, Fla.) would also add 6 bench points and another 4 rebounds. 

Kade Hemmert (JR/Oakley, Kan.) would kick things off in the 2nd half for the Bluejays, scoring 8 of the Bluejays first 9 points, and bringing the Bluejays within 3. 

 

Offensive runs proved important in the 1st half, and they continued into the 2nd. The Braves would respond to Hemmert by stretching their lead to 11 off an 8-0 run. 

The Bluejays big 3 forwards in Thatcher McClure (FR/McKinney, Texas), Kade Hemmert and Adam Nance (SR/Seminole, Okla. ) came right back at Ottawa's largest lead of the game. The trio combined for 13 points in a Bluejay 15-3 run, giving the Bluejays the lead with 6:31 to go. It was the Bluejays first lead since the 4:47 mark in the 1st half. 

 The next 6 minutes favored the Braves. The Braves finished on an 18-9 run, thanks in large part to shooting 8-8 from the charity stripe in the last 1:39 of the game. Bluejays would fall, 58-66.

Thatcher McClure led the Bluejays in scoring with 14. Kent Carroll Jr. led the team in rebounds with 8 and contributed 10 points off the bench. 

Original source can be found here.