Boys Basketball Hangs on to Defeat Corvallis
- Brielle Lowry
- Jan 16, 2024
- 2 min read
11 January, 2024- The varsity boys wrapped up the 6 pack on Thursday night against Corvallis.
Seniors Andrew Eames, Matt Quinn, Kai Bennett, Esteban Chavez, and sophomore Jack Holestine led the Panthers as the starting lineup. Throughout the first half, there was a lot of back and forth, with an accumulation of 17 rebounds from the Panther squad. Bennett led this stat, contributing seven rebounds himself. Starting on top, Central was not going to give up their lead anytime soon, and they continued to dominate the scoreboard. By the end of the half, the Panthers were on top with the score being 26-21. Chavez led the score with eight points; Holestne and Quinn were close behind with seven and five, respectively.
In the third quarter, the trade-offs continued to happen, but the Panthers continued to have a healthy lead. By the end of the third, they were up by eleven points, the score being 43-32.
The fourth quarter is where things started to heat up, as the Spartans strived to close the gap. As time continued to dwindle, each shot made by the Panthers was answered by Corvallis, besides the many fouls that were presented to Central. However, with time fleeting, Corvallis continued to fight and keep the score tight until the final seconds. With 36 seconds left, Chavez’s clutch two-pointer secured a four-point lead for the Panthers. Nearly 14 seconds later, Holestine is fouled, leading to two free throws. He calmly sank one of two, bringing the score to 51-46 with 22 seconds left. Corvallis responded moments later with a three-pointer, narrowing the gap to 51-49 with 13 seconds left.
The closest the game had been thus far, everyone was anticipating the next move from all players. Luckily, the Spartans fouled Eames with three seconds on the clock. Under pressure, he can make his free throw, and increases the gap to three points. Still not fully confident in their lead, as the Spartans only had to make a three to tie it and draw overtime, the Panthers tried to draw another foul. Luckily they do, and the sophomore Holestine was able to make both of his free throws, sealing the deal and securing the Panther victory. Time ran out as Corvallis ran down the court, and Central won 54-49.
The next boys' game should be on Thursday at McKay, following a canceled game on Monday. This will depend on weather and road conditions.
