By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Having dropped five of its previous six games, including a 12-point home loss to Hayden last Friday, Washburn Rural's boys basketball team was in dire need of something positive to build on.
The Junior Blues got that positive boost in Monday's Centennial League makeup game against Junction City, taking a 54-51 victory over the 10th-ranked (Class 6A) Blue Jays at Rural.
"You're two guys down (Brock Howard and Lukas Hanks) that start for you and no true big man, so we're kind of moving people around and it was nice to see a response and see other guys step up into roles,'' Washburn Rural coach Kevin Muff said.
"Friday night was a tough loss and tough to handle, especially on your home court and homecoming -- you want to win that game -- but we got out-played, I got out-coached and to these guys' credit they came back and responded tonight, so I'm really proud of them.''
Washburn Rural's bench celebrates at the end of Monday's 54-51 home Centennial League win over Junction City. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural, which improved to 7-8 overall and 6-5 in the league, trailed Junction City 13-8 after one quarter and 22-17 at the half as the Junior Blues' leading scorers on the season, Jack Bachelor and Quincey Kidd, were held scoreless.
But defense kept Rural in the game and the Junior Blues got their offense cranked up in the third quarter to give themselves a chance for the win.
Rural outscored the Blue Jays 23-11 in the third to turn its five-point deficit into a 40-33 lead as Bachelor and Kidd combined for 14 points in the quarter.
The Junior Blues went in front by eight points early in the fourth quarter but the Blue Jays (10-5, 7-4) got within a point four times late in the game, the last time with 4.6 seconds remaining on two Deontae Baker free throws.
Kidd canned two huge free throws at the other end with 3.7 seconds left to account for the final margin and the Junior Blues forced a turnover to clinch the victory.
Jack Bachelor and Quincey Kidd celebrate Monday's 54-51 Centennial League win over Junction City with their teammates. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Kidd led Washburn Rural with 13 points, including two big third-quarter 3-pointers, and he went five of five at the free throw line, all in the fourth quarter and four in the final 1:37.
"I love the free throw line,'' Kidd said. "Free throws is where I live at. I love the line. It was a great win.''
The Junior Blues also got 11 point from sophomore Griffin Durst and 10 from Bachelor.
Senior Howard Johnson led Junction City with a game-high 20 points while senior Ismael Fadiga added 10 points.
Washburn Rural will be right back in action Tuesday night, hosting Seaman.
WASHBURN RURAL BOYS 54, JUNCTION CITY 51
Junction City 13 9 11 18 -- 51
Washburn Rural 8 9 23 14 -- 54
Junction City (10-5, 7-4) -- Tedder 0-4 2-2 2, Clark 1-5 2-2 5, Johnson 4-9 8-8 20, Fadiga 3-3 4-4 10, Butler-Lawson 1-3 4-4 7, Sellers 0-2 0-0 0, Baker 2-5 2-5 6, Rowell 0-1 0-0 0, Adguzi-Addo 0-0 1-2 1, Watts 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-32 23-27 51.
Washburn Rural (7-8, 6-5) – Kidd 3-4 5-5 13, Hirshi 0-1 0-0 0, Bachelor 4-7 2-2 10, Durst 3-5 4-7 11, Conklin 1-6 2-2 5, Morris 0-0 0-0 0, Bowen 0-1 0-0 0, Heim 3-6 2-2 8, Ross 3-4 1-3 7. Totals 17-34 16-21 54.
3-point goals – Junction City 6 (Johnson 4, Clark, Butler-Lawson), Washburn Rural 4 (Kidd 2, Durst, Conklin). Total fouls – Junction City 21, Washburn Rural 20. Fouled out – Butler-Lawson.
