Holton Boys Basketball vs. Eudora
A scrappy and determined Holton boys basketball team caught fire and downed visiting Eudora here Tuesday night 55-38.
Last week, the Cardinals were state-ranked at No. 8 in Class 4A by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association.
Four Wildcats scored in double figures in the game led by junior Blake Mulroy with 19 points. Junior Kale Purcell pitched in 13, senior Eli Prine had 11 and sophomore Reese Holaday had 10. The Wildcats made seven three-point baskets in the game, led by Prine with three.
Eudora had nine players scoring in the game but only one made it to double figures. Senior Jacob Merkle scored 11.
The Wildcats, who improved to 3-7 overall with the win, led the Cardinals 14-10 after the first quarter and at one point led 11-2.
Employing a zone defense, the Wildcats slowed down and frustrated the visitors who enjoyed a decided size advantage with two players listed at 6-5.
In the second quarter, the Wildcats outrebounded the taller Cards 5-1, mostly outhustling them to loose balls, which helped prevent the visitors from getting more than one shot at the basket a lot of the time.
On a night that the Cards were limited on fast-break points and limited shooting success from the perimeter, that spelled doom for them.
Purcell scored six points in the second quarter and by halftime when Holton led 27-18, Holaday had 10 points.
The Wildcats opened the third quarter with two quick three-point baskets by Prine. Mulroy also scored a basket to give the Wildcats their biggest lead of the game, so far, 37-22, which also ended up being the margin of victory (15 points).
Purcell and senior Trey Wright also scored at the end of the third quarter to give the Wildcats a commanding 41-25 lead. The Wildcat also won the rebounding battle in the third quarter, 7-4.
The fourth quarter saw Holton score three more baskets by Mulroy along with two for Purcell and one by Prine. Both teams had seven rebounds apiece in the quarter. All stats are unofficial. Eudora had 16 turnovers to 11 for the home team.
Eudora was 6-5 overall on Jan. 27 with wins over Louisburg, Marantha Christian Academy, Metro Academy, Tonganoxie and Olathe Northwest.
Two games postponed earlier due to inclement weather have been rescheduled, it has been reported. Hiawatha will now visit Feb. 24 and the Wildcats will travel to Nemaha Central Feb. 10.
The Eudora JV boys prevailed here Tuesday night, 5o-28.
Holton 14-13-14-14—55
Eudora 10-8-7-13—38
Holton – Wright 1-0-0-0-2, Mulroy 7-1-2-3-19, Purcell 4-1-2-2-13, Prine 1-3-0-0-11, Holaday 1-2-2-2-10. Totals 14-7-6-7-55.
Eudora – Arnold 1-1-1-2-6, Bradley 1-1-0-0-5, Watkins 1-0-0-0-2, Fawcett 3-0-2-2-8, Hayden 1-0-0-0-2, Merkle 4-0-3-4- 11, Schmidt 0-0-3-4-3, Loganbill 0-0-1-2-1. Totals 11-2-10-14—38.
The win over Eudora last night came after the Wildcats competed at the Basehor-Linwood mid-season tourney.
In the tourney, Holton lost 66-46 to Raytown South and also lost 47-27 to Washburn Rural and lost 62-47 to Barstow.
No boxscores have been turned in to The Recorder for those tourney games.
“We played hard in all three tournament games against very good competition, but were not able to get over the hump,’’ commented HHS head coach Connor Bechard. “The level of competition was very high, and we had moments of excellence, but unfortunately, a small stretch of each game left us in a hole we were not able to dig ourselves out of.’’
