OMS 8th Grade Fends Off Late Jayhawk-Linn Rally

Written by David Wolman

Wednesday, 14 January 2009 09:00

$Osawatomie’s Travis Manes looks at the basket before pulling up for a jump shot, while being surrounded by three Jayhawk-Linn defenders, during an eighth-grade basketball game Monday in Osawatomie. (david wolman / <script language='JavaScript' type='text/javascript'>  </script> <script language='JavaScript' type='text/javascript'>  </script>This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it <script language='JavaScript' type='text/javascript'>  </script>)$ Every time it appeared the Osawatomie eighth-grade boys’ basketball team was going to separate itself from Jayhawk-Linn on Monday, the Jayhawks pushed back — all the way to the final 30 seconds.

Following a Patrick Sutherland jumper with 42 seconds remaining, all Jayhawk-Linn had to do was to force Osawatomie into committing a turnover or miss a pair of free throws to keep it a one-possession game and attempt to force overtime with a three-pointer or a three-point play.

But Austin Chisam got Osawatomie’s offense going, and when the Trojans needed someone to finally put away the game, he did just that. He sank two free throws with 11 seconds remaining, as Osawatomie held on for a 31-26 victory.

Chisam scored the first eight Osawatomie points of the game, including a jumper for an 8-4 lead. He scored eight of his game-high 18 points in the first quarter.

Brandon Gaines got in the act late in the first quarter, hitting a turnaround jumper for a 10-4 lead. He finished with 11 points.

But back came Jayhawk-Linn.

Ben Rowe hit a jumper early in the second to cut the Trojan lead to 10-9. Jayhawk-Linn never led in the game but came close on a few occasions.

Sutherland hit a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to end the first half to cut Osawatomie’s lead to 19-15. After the Trojans extended their lead to 29-20 on Gaines’ layup early in the fourth quarter, Jayhawk-Linn kept digging into Osawatomie’s lead, cutting it to three points on Sutherland’s late jumper, but that’s as close as the Jayhawks would get. He finished with nine points. Rowe added seven points. Austin Coleman chipped in four points.

Junior varsity

Defense turned into offense for the Osawatomie Middle School junior varsity team. The Trojans took advantage of 24 Jayhawk-Linn turnovers in pulling away for a 29-9 home win Monday.

Up 6-5 after the first quarter, Osawatomie’s defense continued to apply pressure, and it started to pay off in the second. Shay Neal recorded back-to-back steals in the backcourt and converted those into two layups and a 10-5 Trojan lead. He came off the bench to lead the Trojans with eight points. Christian Botwinik added five points.

Kolby Fountain led Jayhawk-Linn with five points, including a rainbow three-pointer late in the first quarter.

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