Saturday a dominating second quarter by host Continental High Boys Basketball provided the Pirates with a 12 point half time lead over visiting Antwerp. Key 3-point and free-throw shooting propelled the Pirates to victory. The Pirates had a 4-1 advantage in made 3s over the Archers in the second quarter and while the Pirates did not attempt a free throw in the second quarter, they did shoot 8-10 from the line for the game. The Archers were 0-4 from the line during the second quarter part of a span where the Archers missed 9 consecutive free throws.
An even first quarter saw the Archers make a basket to take the early lead. Monty Rayle hit a 3 to put the Pirates on top 3-2. An Archer 3 was followed by a Tyson Clementz basket and it was 5 all. A basket and a free throw put the Archers up 8-5 but Rayle hit a long 3 to tie the game at 8. Clementz would put the Pirates up 10-8 with a basket. The Archers would put in a basket and a free throw to make it Archers 11-10 after 1. The Pirates would put in the first 7 points of the second when Collin Hammond would make a pair of free throws, Clementz would make a basket followed by a Nolan Cordes 3. Pirates 17-11. A 3 by the Archers cut the Pirate lead in half Pirates 17-14. The Pirates finished off the second quarter by making three 3s with Rayle making 2 and Reid Streicher making 1. Pirates outscored the Archers 16-3 in the second quarter taking a 26-14 lead into the locker room.
The Pirates started out the second half with Rayle and Hammond making baskets pushing the Pirates lead to 16, 30-14. An Archer basket stopped the Pirate 13 point run. The Archers would go on a 9 point run started with them making a free throw after missing 9 in a row. A total of 3 made free throws and a pair of 3s cut the Pirates lead to 7 32-35. A Hammond basket stopped the Archer run and put the Pirates back up by 9 34-25. A pair of Archer baskets cut the Pirates lead to 5 34-29. The Pirates Cordes would finish their 3rd quarter scoring with a 3 and 2 to put the Pirates back up by 5 39-29. A 3 by the Archers would finish off the quarter with a Pirate 39-32 advantage.
The Pirates opened up the fourth quarter with Rayle making his 5th 3 to put the Pirates up by 10, 42-32. An Archer basket was followed by a pair of baskets by Hammond. Pirates 46-34. An Archer 3 was followed by a Cordes basket Pirates 48-37. The teams exchanged free throw with Hammond hitting for the Pirates. Pirates 49-38. Another point exchange this time basket with Cordes making for the Pirates. Pirates 51-40. The Archers would stretch together 7 points on a 3 point play, a pair of free thows and a basket to cut the Pirate lead to 4, 51-47. The Pirates would expand their lead back to 10 when Hammond would make a pair of baskets and Jackson Bidlack would drain a pair of free throws. Pirates 57-47. A pair of Archer free throws (they were 6-7 from the line in the 4th) cut the Pirate lead to 8 57-49. Bidlack would make a free throw to put the Pirates back up by 9, 58-49. A pair of 3s by the Archers with the last one coming too late as the Pirates did not have to throw the ball in and just let the clock expire. Pirates 58-55 win.
Monty Rayle led the Pirates with 17 points including five 3 pointers. Collin Hammond added 15. Nolan Cordes scored 12 including two 3s. Tyson Clementz made 6 points. Reid Streicher put in 5 including a 3. Jackson Bidlack scored 3. The Pirates made eight 3-pointers while the Archers 7. Continental was 8-10 from the line while Antwerp was 11-22.
Continental improvers to 2-3 and will host Paulding on Tuesday. Antwerp falls to 2-2.
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
