Trojans drop heartbreaker to Paola

The Osawatomie Trojans Boys Basketball team did just about everything right in the first half of their game against cross county rival Paola, taking a sweet 15 point lead to the locker room at the intermission. But the sweetness turned sour in the second half as the Panthers roared back in the third quarter and eventually took a 52-50 overtime victory over the visiting Trojans.

“We started the game out good defensively and did a nice job of being the aggressor in the first half,” said Trojan Head Coach Darren Soucie. “I tried to tell the kids that Paola was going to come out in the second half and really get after them, so they needed to start the third quarter strong.”

The third quarter was the turning point in the game, as the Panthers seized control of the game, control that the Trojans looked like they had firmly in hand after the first half of action.

The Trojans took control of the game for the opening tip, as Jameson Greenwood and Seth Jones hit baskets to give Osawatomie a four point lead at 4-0.

A free throw and later basket by the Panthers Brandon Erisman cut the lead to one, it would be as close as the Panthers would come for the better part of the game, as the Trojans ended the quarter with consecutive three’s by Josh Blurton and Dylon Needham to take a 10-3 lead.

The Trojans remained hot from beyond the arc to start the second quarter, as a Jones hit a three to open the period and the Trojans were up by 10 at 13-3.

The Panthers’ Michael Bryson hit a jumper and Travis Marsh answered for a 15-5 lead before Adam Henn of Paola hit a three point shot to cut the lead to seven at 15-8. Paola’s Travis Hayes picked up his third foul late in the period and Marsh capitalized by hitting two free throws to move the lead to 17-8. From that point to the end of the half it was all Trojans as they closed the half on an 8-0 run, on the strength of baskets by Jones, Brendan Soucie and Marsh to take a 15 point lead at 23-8.

Things started to unravel for the Trojans in the third quarter, as, despite a locker room warning, they came out unprepared for the Panthers in the period.

“We didn’t answer very well,” said Soucie.

Paola opened with two baskets by Hayes sandwiched around a bucket by Brendan Soucie and the lead was 13 at 25-12. Paola’s Skylar Hawkins traded baskets with Jones and the lead was still 13 at 27-14. Then the Panthers went on a 11-0 run before Marsh hit a jumper to end the quarter, but by that time the game that was once well in control was a game again at 29-25.

The Trojans tried to regain control of the game to begin the fourth quarter, as a Jones bucket gave Osawatomie a six point lead at 31-25 and Brendan Soucie helped the Trojans match that lead with a bucket to make the score 33-27. But, the Panthers were still not to be denied, as Bryson hit a jumper and Jonathan Pomatto converted an old fashioned three point play to cut the lead to one at 33-32. Bryson knotted the score for the first time since the beginning of the game at the 4:13 mark hitting one of two free throws.

The teams sparred back and forth with Tyler Wright giving the Trojans a lead at 35-33, but after a Hawkins free throw and a running basket by Bryson off a Henn assist, the Panthers found themselves with their first lead of the game at 36-35 with just under three minutes to play.

Travis Marsh nailed a huge three pointer seconds later to regain the lead for the Trojans, but then fouled the Panther Pomatto who hit both ends of a one and one to knot the score again at 38-38.

The Panthers moved to their biggest lead of the game at 43-40 with just under a minute to play in the game on the strength of two free throws by Travis Hayes. Blurton kept the Trojans in the fight, hitting a three pointer a few seconds later to send the game to overtime.

The Trojans could never regain the lead in overtime as the Panthers jumped to a four point lead to start the extra period, and maintained that margin for much of the overtime. Skylar Hawkins missed both ends of a two shot foul inside of a minute to play and Brendan Soucie hit a shot under the basket to cut the lead to two with under 30 seconds to play. Hawkins missed two more free throws and when Paola’s Bryson was whistled for his fifth foul with 4.8 seconds to play, Brendan Soucie stepped up to the foul line with a chance to tie the game with two free throws.

He converted one of two free throws to cut the lead to one, and the Panthers’ Pomatto followed with one of two free throws a second later and the game ended with Paola taking a 52-50 win.

“I thought our kids never quit,” said Soucie. “We battled back in the fourth quarter, but just couldn’t get it together in the overtime. We need to improve our defense and take better shots.”

The Trojans return to action Friday, December 19 at Spring Hill in their final action before the Christmas break.