What started out as a major glimmer of hope for the Sandy Creek boys basketball team ended with a tough setback Monday night in North Bend. As the North Bend Central Tigers roared back, behind an 18-5 fourth quarter rally to defeat the Sandy Creek Cougars 54-44 in the C2-5 District Final.
The loss ended the Cougars season with a 19-8 record and one game short of a berth in the Class C-2 state tournament next week.
Sandy Creek trailed 9-8 after one quarter of play, but a 17-15 second-quarter run put the Cougars up 25-24.
Sandy Creek then led 39-36 going into the fourth quarter when the Tigers mounted the huge 13-point scoring advantage to claim the 10-point victory and advance to the state tournament.
Sandy Creek was 17-44 from the floor (38.6%), and drained seven of 12 foul shots (58.3%).
Sophomore Kamerin Sealey and junior Logan Tomky combined for 31 of the Cougars 44 points, with Sealey hitting for 19, and Tomky for 12.
Junior Christian Shaw added nine points, while junior Wes Biltoft closed out the scoring with four points.
Biltoft and Sealey both had seven rebound to lead the Cougars, with Alex Watts gaining five, Tomky, four, and Shaw, and Sam Watts, two each.
Sealey also had five assists in the season-ending loss.
Sandy Creek....................8 17 14 5 -44 North Bend Central..........9 15 12 18 -54 Scoring: FG FT Pts Kamerin Sealey............................. 7-18 5-6 19 Logan Tomky.................................. 4-9 2-4 12 Christian Shaw.............................. 4-10 0-0 9 Wes Biltoft..................................... 2-3 0-2 4 Wyatt Livgren................................. 0-1 0-0 0 Alex Watts...................................... 0-1 0-0 0 Sam Watts...................................... 0-2 0-0 0 Sandy Creek Totals:............... 17-44 7-12 44 3-pt FG: Tomky 2-5, Shaw 1-1, Livgren 0-1, S. Watts 0-2, Sealey 0-3. Total: 3-12. Rebounds: Biltoft 7, Sealey 7, A. Watts 5, Tomky 4, Shaw 2, S. Watts 2.
Total: 27. Assists: Sealey 5, S. Watts 2, Tomky 2, Biltoft 1. Total: 10. Steals: Sealey 1, A. Watts 1, Tomky 1, S. Watts 1, Biltoft 1. Total: 5.
Junior Evan Swartzendruber attempts to disrupt this shot by a North Bend Central player during the Cougars battle with the Tigers Monday, March 2 in North Bend. NATHAN ARNEAL-NORTH BEND EAGLE | CLAY COUNTY NEWS
