By Kevin Flaherty
GateHouse News Service
HUTCHINSON — Rossville’s Matthew Buhler scored seven points in the game’s final 1:06, including a free throw with three seconds remaining, to give the Bulldogs a hard-fought 59-58 victory over Halstead in the state quarterfinals Wednesday night.
Halstead (19-5) came in through the front doors of the Hutchinson Sports Arena, but they nearly pulled out a victory by the backdoor. They used the backdoor play three times to success in the fourth quarter and held a four-point lead with less than two minutes to play.
“It’s something that they’re very good at,” said Rossville coach Derek Dick. “They run it to perfection, and they really hurt us with it.”
But Buhler hit one 3-pointer to cut the Halstead lead to 56-55 and banked in another with 28 seconds left to help the Bulldogs (20-4) tie the game at 58.
“He’s one of the best players in Class 3A,” said Halstead coach Joe Gerber. “He makes so many of those (without hitting the backboard) that he probably deserved a bank at some point. It just happened to come at a bad time for us.”
But Buhler didn’t stop there. He got back on defense and stole a pass to give the Bulldogs a chance to win at the end. After a quick foul to slow Rossville down, an attempted steal by Jared Regehr was called as a foul. That call gave the Dragons six fouls in the period. Buhler then drew a foul on an inbounds lob to set up the winning free throw.
“They did a great job on him by guarding him with one person and sending another rushing at him to make him get rid of it,” Dick said. “He did a nice job of not forcing anything early, but I think late, he realized that he had to step up or his high school career was going to be over.”
A final attempt by Regehr didn’t hit the mark.
Buhler hit just 1-5 shots from the field in the first half and had four points. He went 5-10, including 5-8 from three-point range and scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half. Tanner Cady added 16 points.
Halstead was led by four players in double-figures, led by Simon McKee with 18 points. Chris Santoya had 11 points and 14 rebounds.
“(Halstead) had all the pieces,” Dick said. “They’re well-coached and they left everything out there.”
Halstead shot almost 54 percent from the field in the first quarter, but Rossville countered by knocking in two of four 3-point attempts and the Dragons led by three after one.
That lead was extended early in the second quarter when McKee hit a three-pointer. Then Regehr hit a three. After a Rossville two-pointer, Santoya scored on a stick-back and Andrew Pjesky put in a layup on a fast break. Just like that, what once had been a 14-12 Bulldog lead ballooned to a 27-16 Dragon advantage.
But Halstead didn’t score in the half’s final three minutes, allowing Rossville to end the half on an 8-0 run. The Dragons went into halftime with a 27-24 lead.
The third quarter played out much like the second. After exchanging early buckets, Halstead was able to take a 41-33 edge on a Cody Ratcliffe driving bucket. But just like in the second, Rossville came roaring back, cutting the lead to 41-40 on a steal and basket by Cady. The Dragons pushed that lead to as many as seven, at 50-43, before the Bulldogs made their final move.
“I felt like we were probably the better team for 29 or so of the 32 minutes we played,” Gerber said. “Sometimes, that’s the way that it goes.”
Rossville will play No. 1 seed Wichita Collegiate (23-1), 74-32 victors over Council Grove Wednesday. Dick said the Bulldogs had been looking forward to that match since last year’s loss, one where the Bulldogs led by six, only to fall by three.
That game is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Friday.
HALSTEAD (19-5) — Simon McKee 8-10 0-0 18, Cody Ratcliffe 5-9 3-4 14, Jared Regehr 3-10 2-3 11, Chris Santoya 4-12 3-6 11, Andrew Pjesky 2-4 0-0 4, Garrison Gundy 0-1 0-0 0, Dakota Becker 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 22-48 8-13 58.
ROSSVILLE (20-4) — Matthew Buhler 6-15 5-7 22, Tanner Cady 8-14 0-0 16, Mitch Buhler 4-10 0-0 9, Derek Hammer 1-4 3-4 6, Zach Quiett 1-5 0-0 3, Cole Cook 1-3 0-0 3, Alex Little 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 21-52 8-11 59.
Halstead 17 10 14 17 —58
Rossville 14 10 16 19 —59
Total fouls — Hal. 15, Ros. 16. 3-point shooting — Hal. 6-20 (Regehr 3-8, McKee 2-3, Ratcliffe 1-5, Pjesky 0-2, Santota 0-2), Ros. 9-19 (Quiett 1-2, Mi.Buhler 1-3, Hammer 1-2, Cook 1-3, Ma.Buhler 5-9). Rebounds — Hal. 34 (Santoya 14), Ros. 28 (four with 6). Assists — Hal. 14 (Regehr 4, Santoya 4), Ros. 15 (Cady 6). Turnovers — Hal. 10 (McKee 3, Santoya 3), Ros. 7 (Cady 4). Blocked shots — Hal. 0, Ros. 3 (Cady 2). Steals — Hal. 4 (Santoya 2), Ros. 4 (Cady 2, Ma.Buhler 2).
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By Kevin Flaherty
GateHouse News Service
HUTCHINSON — Rossville’s Matthew Buhler scored seven points in the game’s final 1:06, including a free throw with three seconds remaining, to give the Bulldogs a hard-fought 59-58 victory over Halstead in the state quarterfinals Wednesday night.
Halstead (19-5) came in through the front doors of the Hutchinson Sports Arena, but they nearly pulled out a victory by the backdoor. They used the backdoor play three times to success in the fourth quarter and held a four-point lead with less than two minutes to play.
“It’s something that they’re very good at,” said Rossville coach Derek Dick. “They run it to perfection, and they really hurt us with it.”
But Buhler hit one 3-pointer to cut the Halstead lead to 56-55 and banked in another with 28 seconds left to help the Bulldogs (20-4) tie the game at 58.
“He’s one of the best players in Class 3A,” said Halstead coach Joe Gerber. “He makes so many of those (without hitting the backboard) that he probably deserved a bank at some point. It just happened to come at a bad time for us.”
But Buhler didn’t stop there. He got back on defense and stole a pass to give the Bulldogs a chance to win at the end. After a quick foul to slow Rossville down, an attempted steal by Jared Regehr was called as a foul. That call gave the Dragons six fouls in the period. Buhler then drew a foul on an inbounds lob to set up the winning free throw.
“They did a great job on him by guarding him with one person and sending another rushing at him to make him get rid of it,” Dick said. “He did a nice job of not forcing anything early, but I think late, he realized that he had to step up or his high school career was going to be over.”
A final attempt by Regehr didn’t hit the mark.
Buhler hit just 1-5 shots from the field in the first half and had four points. He went 5-10, including 5-8 from three-point range and scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half. Tanner Cady added 16 points.
Halstead was led by four players in double-figures, led by Simon McKee with 18 points. Chris Santoya had 11 points and 14 rebounds.
“(Halstead) had all the pieces,” Dick said. “They’re well-coached and they left everything out there.”
Halstead shot almost 54 percent from the field in the first quarter, but Rossville countered by knocking in two of four 3-point attempts and the Dragons led by three after one.
That lead was extended early in the second quarter when McKee hit a three-pointer. Then Regehr hit a three. After a Rossville two-pointer, Santoya scored on a stick-back and Andrew Pjesky put in a layup on a fast break. Just like that, what once had been a 14-12 Bulldog lead ballooned to a 27-16 Dragon advantage.
But Halstead didn’t score in the half’s final three minutes, allowing Rossville to end the half on an 8-0 run. The Dragons went into halftime with a 27-24 lead.
The third quarter played out much like the second. After exchanging early buckets, Halstead was able to take a 41-33 edge on a Cody Ratcliffe driving bucket. But just like in the second, Rossville came roaring back, cutting the lead to 41-40 on a steal and basket by Cady. The Dragons pushed that lead to as many as seven, at 50-43, before the Bulldogs made their final move.
“I felt like we were probably the better team for 29 or so of the 32 minutes we played,” Gerber said. “Sometimes, that’s the way that it goes.”
Rossville will play No. 1 seed Wichita Collegiate (23-1), 74-32 victors over Council Grove Wednesday. Dick said the Bulldogs had been looking forward to that match since last year’s loss, one where the Bulldogs led by six, only to fall by three.
That game is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Friday.
HALSTEAD (19-5) — Simon McKee 8-10 0-0 18, Cody Ratcliffe 5-9 3-4 14, Jared Regehr 3-10 2-3 11, Chris Santoya 4-12 3-6 11, Andrew Pjesky 2-4 0-0 4, Garrison Gundy 0-1 0-0 0, Dakota Becker 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 22-48 8-13 58.
ROSSVILLE (20-4) — Matthew Buhler 6-15 5-7 22, Tanner Cady 8-14 0-0 16, Mitch Buhler 4-10 0-0 9, Derek Hammer 1-4 3-4 6, Zach Quiett 1-5 0-0 3, Cole Cook 1-3 0-0 3, Alex Little 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 21-52 8-11 59.
Halstead 17 10 14 17 —58
Rossville 14 10 16 19 —59
Total fouls — Hal. 15, Ros. 16. 3-point shooting — Hal. 6-20 (Regehr 3-8, McKee 2-3, Ratcliffe 1-5, Pjesky 0-2, Santota 0-2), Ros. 9-19 (Quiett 1-2, Mi.Buhler 1-3, Hammer 1-2, Cook 1-3, Ma.Buhler 5-9). Rebounds — Hal. 34 (Santoya 14), Ros. 28 (four with 6). Assists — Hal. 14 (Regehr 4, Santoya 4), Ros. 15 (Cady 6). Turnovers — Hal. 10 (McKee 3, Santoya 3), Ros. 7 (Cady 4). Blocked shots — Hal. 0, Ros. 3 (Cady 2). Steals — Hal. 4 (Santoya 2), Ros. 4 (Cady 2, Ma.Buhler 2).
