SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Hutchinson High School’s girls and boys basketball teams both delivered clutch performances Friday night at Salina South, sweeping the Cougars in a pair of down-to-the-wire road victories that helped erase memories of a lopsided loss earlier in the week to Maize South.
The Hutch High girls stunned the Cougars 42-40 on a last-second floater, while the Salthawk boys withstood a late Salina South rally to secure a 47-39 win behind a career night from Lamar Govain.
Girls recap: Morgan delivers late heroics
Freshman Danea Morgan hit a 6-foot floater just left of the lane with 1.7 seconds remaining to lift Hutchinson to a dramatic 42-40 victory over Salina South at Salina South High School.
After being routed by Maize South in their previous outing, the Lady Salthawks responded with resilience and composure in a tense defensive battle that came down to the final possession.
The win also carried an element of redemption. When the two teams met in January, Salina South escaped Hutchinson with a 42-40 win. This time, the result flipped.
Hutchinson improved to 8-8 with the victory, evening its record, while Salina South dropped to 11-7 after suffering its third consecutive home loss.
Boys recap: Govain shines, freshmen step up
In the nightcap, the Hutchinson boys followed a familiar script — but with a different ending.
After falling to Salina South at the Salthawk Activity Center on Jan. 9, when the Cougars pulled away late for a double-digit win, Hutchinson built an early lead Friday and then closed the door at the free-throw line for a 47-39 victory.
Senior Lamar Govain was sensational, pouring in 19 points in the first half on his way to a varsity career-high 28 points. But the Salthawks’ effort was far from a one-man show.
Playing without Soph. Larry Jeremiah Jr., who turned an ankle in practice earlier in the week, Hutchinson leaned heavily on a young supporting cast. Freshman Eli Atha hit two corner 3-pointers in the first quarter and calmly knocked down three of four free throws late to finish with nine points.
Freshmen Roman Kerns, Will Cox and CJ McQueen all logged extended minutes and made key plays on both ends of the floor, while Jaidaence Embers earned a start in place of Jeremiah and turned in a solid all-around performance.
The win snapped Hutchinson’s three-game road losing streak and lifted the Salthawks to 6-10. Salina South saw its five-game winning streak come to an end and fell to 13-5.
Hutchinson returns home Tuesday for a rivalry matchup against Valley Center at 7:30 p.m. at the Salthawk Activity Center. It will be Hutch’s first home game since Jan. 9, and the Salthawks will look for a strong crowd to support two teams battling with heart and grit down the stretch of the season.