By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden's boys faced long odds of posting a Senior Night win Friday night after spotting Washburn Rural a 17-point advantage midway through the second quarter and falling behind by 16 points early in the second half.
Hayden senior Connor Hanika (3) had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in Friday's 53-49 overtime win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
But eventually the Wildcats began to flash the form that has now produced eight wins over their last nine games, forcing overtime before doubling up the Junior Blues in the extra session to take a 53-49 Centennial League win at the Bueltel Activities Center.
"We regrouped and got back to the things that we wrote up -- start executing, start looking for each other and don't be so panicked when you don't get that first option,'' Hayden coach Dwayne Anthony said. "They did a good job of just staying the course.''
Now 12-8 overall and 5-4 in the league, the Wildcats were able to avenge a 17-point loss (79-62) at Rural earlier in the season.
After trailing 3-2 and 5-4 early, Washburn Rural (11-9, 4-4) took a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter and hit the Wildcats with an 18-7 second quarter, leading 26-9 midway through the period, to take a 28-14 advantage into halftime.
The Junior Blues, who played without injured senior guard Simon Rowley, scored the first basket of the second half to go up 30-14 and still led by double-digits midway through the third quarter before the Wildcats began to peck away at the Rural advantage.
Hayden cut its deficit to 37-34 by the end of the third quarter and took its first lead since the opening three minutes on a Mason Becker 3-pointer with 6:28 left in regulation.
Three ties and a couple of lead changes followed and both teams had opportunities to end things in regulation over the final minute before the game went to OT.
Hayden drew first blood in overtime on a 3-pointer from junior Carter Compton and never trailed in the extra session while leading by five points twice as the Wildcat seniors were able to celebrate their first career wins over Washburn Rural.
Senior Connor Hanika scored 13 of his team-high 15 points in the second half to lead four double-figure scorers for the Wildcats while grabbing 10 rebounds for a double-double.
"We struggled in the first half, everybody,'' Hanika said. "We couldn't get anything to fall but the main thing at halftime was our shots are going to fall and we've just got to wait for the opportunity and then attack it.''
Becker added 13 points with three 3-pointers while senior Kade Mitchell scored 11 points and Compton 10 for the Wildcats.
"That's what we've been stressing,'' Anthony said of the Wildcats' balance. "This is a team game and so easily it can feel like it's not at times, but it is and they've embraced the 'We over me' philosophy and that's been blessing us in these last games.''
Senior John Hoytal (10) scored a game-high 17 points in Friday's 53-49 Washburn Rural overtime loss at Hayden. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Senior John Hoytal led Washburn Rural with a game-high 17 points and also grabbed nine rebounds while senior Kieffer O'Connor came off the bench to add 10 points with a pair of treys.
Hayden will go on the road to face Centennial League rival Junction City on Tuesday while Washburn Rural will be at home for a league game against Topeka High.
HAYDEN BOYS 53, WASHBURN RURAL 49 (OT)
Washburn Rural 10 18 9 8 4 -- 49
Hayden 7 7 20 11 8 -- 53
Washburn Rural (11-9, 4-4) – Nimz 3-4 2-4 8, Ballard 3-13 1-2 8, Hoytal 7-10 3-4 17, Chooncharoen 0-2 0-0 0, Schmidt 1-2 0-0 2, Wright 2-4 0-1 4, O'Connor 2-6 4-4 10, Bradley 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-42 10-15 49.
Hayden (12-8, 5-4) – Mitchell 4-6 3-4 11, Hanika 7-14 1-5 15, Becker 3-13 4-7 13, Kidd 1-4 1-2 4, Compton 3-13 2-2 10, Tourtillott 0-3 0-0 0, Wolff 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 18-55 11-20 53.
3-point goals – Washburn Rural 3 (O'Connor 2, Ballard), Hayden 6 (Becker 3, Compton 2, Kidd). Total fouls – Washburn Rural 16, Hayden 17. Fouled out – none. Technical fouls -- none.
