MEDORA
Medora is playing their best basketball heading into the postseason.
With a 56-51 victory against visiting South Central (Elizabeth) on Saturday, in a makeup game, the Hornets finished 3-1 over a seven day span.
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“These last four games, even though we lost one of them, we did things in the third and fourth quarter to win games,” Hornets coach Michael Leitzman said. “That’s something we hadn’t been doing earlier in the season. I think that this team is playing the best basketball we’re capable of right now, and that’s what you want going into the tournament.”
The Hornets were dialed in from long range against the Rebels, sinking 10 3-pointers.
In the first quarter, the Hornets went on a 7-0 run to go up 9-6 with 1:50 on the clock behind a 3-pointer and pair of free throws by senior Kam Flynn.
A 3-pointer by the Rebels’ Logan Stewart tied the game at 11-11 with 25 ticks left in the first, and the teams stood deadlocked after eight minutes of play.
Flynn hit another three to open the second quarter, and junior Brandon Moore hit two treys as the Hornets led 20-15 by the 1:46-mark.
With five seconds on the clock, Flynn buried another 3-pointer as the Hornets led 24-18 at the half.
Flynn had 11 points in the first half.
The Rebels went on a 10-3 run following intermission with four different scorers.
Not to be outdone, the Hornets didn’t allow another point in the final 2:37.
During that span, Moore heated up from the field scoring eight straight points for the Hornets as they led 37-28 after 24 minutes.
“They went to a box-and-one on Kam Flynn after halftime since he had 11 points in the first half,” Leitzman said. “I told the other four, (South Central) is saying that our four can’t beat their four. We just wanted to move the basketball, screen for one another and attack. A bunch of our guys had big baskets to put that game away.”
Despite allowing 23 points in the fourth quarter, the Hornets were able to make 11 of 16 free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
The closest the Rebels would get was three points.
Moore led the Hornets with 18 points and Jalen Beesley added 13.
Stewart topped the Rebels’ boxscore with 17 points, with 11 coming in the fourth quarter.
The Hornets take a 7-16 record into Tuesday’s West Washington Sectional.
“I’m feeling good about this team,” Leitzman said. “We’re ready to play. Our confidence is back up. We’re playing how I thought we could all year, it just took a little longer than I thought it would.