A big third quarter by the Aces was the difference on Friday when Continental traveled to Hicksville for a non league boys basketball battle. Hicksville opened the game by hitting a 3 which was matched by the Pirates Rhenn Armey. An Aces free throw was followed up by a Gavin Huff basket giving the Pirates their only lead of the game 5-4. The Aces took the lead for good with an old fashioned 3 point play and a 3 pointer to make it 10-5. A basket by Pirate Mitchell Coleman was followed by an Aces free throw and basket to make it Aces 13. Pirates 7. Huff hit a 3 with 2 seconds to go in the quarter to make it Aces 13, Pirates 10 after 1. The second quarter had the Pirates offense come to a stop as they managed just 3 made free throws (2 by Andrew Hoeffel and 1 by Coleman) while the Aces put in two 3s and a pair of free throws to make it 21-13 at half.
The third quarter had both offenses come alive as the Aces bettered their first half score by 1 while the Pirates missed their first half total by 1. The Aces piled in 22 points in the quarter on 8 baskets and two 3s while the Pirates had 3 baskets (2 by Huff and 1 by Trevor Brecht) and two 3 pointers by Coleman. Aces 43, Pirates 25 after 3. The Pirates would pull to within 14 points as they would put in 6 of the first 8 points of the quarter when Becht would put in 2 baskets, Reed Warnement and Coleman would each put in a basket Aces 45, Pirates 31. The Aces would outscore the Pirates 12-6 the rest of the way for a 57-37 Aces final.
Mitchell Coleman led the Pirates with 11 points while Gavin Huff put in 9. Trevor Brecht had 6, Rhenn Armey 5, Reed Warnement, Andrew Hoeffel and Wyatt Davis all had 2. The Pirates hit four 3s, 2 by Coleman, 1 each by Huff and Armey. The Aces hit seven 3s. The Pirates were 5/9 from the line as were the Aces.
Continental falls to 1-2 and will host Lincolnview on Saturday night (Junior Varsity start time at 5:00). The Aces improve to 2-0. The Aces took the Junior Varsity game 18-14.
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
