The Eureka High School boys basketball team played the Neodesha Bluestreaks to close out last week.
This game, played at Neodesha, was another close loss by the Tornadoes, 41-44. Once again, they were undone by cold shooting in the first quarter. However, the Tornadoes turned it on from the second quarter onward, gaining confidence and clawing their way back into contention. They out-scored the host Streaks by two in that quarter and followed that with a seven point advantage in the third.
The Tornadoes opened the game shooting 11% from the field and allowing the Bluestreaks to hit on 40% of their attempts. They cranked up the defense after that and also warmed up shooting from the field to begin closing the gap. They also had the fewest turnovers of the season, which gave their offense more opportunities. This continued a trend in which they have taken care of the ball and shot better as the season has progressed.
They played the second half as well as they played the second quarter but fell just short at the final buzzer as a potential game-tying 3-point shot spun out of the basket.
Senior Jace Nixon led the scoring for the Tornadoes with 15 points. Senior Lyle Perrier had 10, junior Laken Valentine had 8, sophomore T. J. Mills had 6 and senior Cole Adkins added 2.
Up Next
Eureka traveled to Fredonia on Monday of this week to make-up their Jan. 5 game against the Yellowjackets. The Tornadoes were slated to host Council Grove on Tuesday of this week before traveling to Bluestem on Friday. The annual Parent’s Night event will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 13, as the Tornadoes host Erie.
