The Southern Boone County boys basketball team split two games with the Blair Oaks Falcons earlier this season, but their final matchup on Friday meant a playing for a district championship or going home after a loss.
It was another low-scoring affair between the two top ten state-ranked teams, but the Falcons took the advantage in the third quarter and held on for a 60-45 win to advance to the championship game.
SoBoCo kept it close for the first half behind senior Sam Stichnote and their often-electric offense. Rece Gilmore opened the game with a steal and dump to Nik Post for the first basket. Stichnote followed it up with a basket to take the 4-2 lead, but Blair Oaks hit a trey and two-point shot to take the 7-4 lead. Post, a sophomore added to the starting lineup midway through the season, made a basket from behind the arc to tie up the score. The remainder of the quarter was Stichnote’s attempt to produce the offense needed to keep pace with the Falcons, and the Eagles took a small 13-11 lead into the second.
Blair Oaks opened the following quarter with a bucket and two 3-pointers to take a 19-13. Stichnote broke the run with a basket, Brady Trammell followed on the next possession with a 3-pointer and Gilmore broke away with a steal and bucket on the ensuing Falcons possession. The three buckets brought the Eagles back within one, but three of Blair Oaks own shots expanded the lead to 29-22. Trammell ended the half with a buzzer beating shot to put Southern Boone back within five.
~ There’s more of this story in today’s Journal ~
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