LITTLE RIVER REDSKIN BASKETBALL

REDSKINS FALL SHORT AT STATE

By Staff

            DODGE CITY – The magic ended on Thursday for the Little River boys as they fought hard and long but lost a four-point, 53-57, game to top seeded Olpe at the Class 1A Division state tournament.

            Coming into the tournament  the Redskins were the eighth-seed and finish the 2024/25 season 15-8. Olpe (22-2) will now tangle with Claflin/Central Plains (19-4), the fourth seed. The winner will then battle the winner of second seed Coldwater/South Central (22-2) and third seed Montezuma/South Gray (20-4) for the Class 1A Division I state crown.

            After Olpe took a five-point, 8-13, lead at the end of the first quarter, the Redskins bounced back an outscored Olpe 18-11 in the second stanza, giving them a slim, two-point, 26-24, going into the halftime break. Olpe took back the lead in the game early after the break, then held off Little River just enough to lead by two at the end of the third quarter, 39-41, and grabbed the final four-point, 53-57, victory.

            It was fouls that cut any advantage Little River tried to gain in the game as they were whistled for 20 fouls while Olpe only had six, giving the Eagles a huge edge at the free throw stripe, getting 31 opportunities to  just five for the Redskins while making 21 to just three for Little River.

            Jaxson Konen led the Redskins offense with 14 while Logan Schubert had a huge game with a double double, scoring 11 and grabbing 10 rebounds.

LITTLE RIVER REDSKINS vs. Olpe, Thursday, March 13 at Class 1A Division I State Tournament

SCORING = Little River lost 53-57.

Little River = 8-18-13-14 = 53; Olpe = 13-11-17-16 = 57.

TEAM STATS =

Little River = 2fgs – 16/29; 3pts – 6/15; fts – 3/5; asst – 7; rebs – 23; stls – 2; blks – 1; to – 13; fls – 20.

Olpe = 2fgs – 15/33; 3pts – 2/6; fts – 21/31; asst – n/a; rebs – 22; stls – n/a; blks – n/a; to – 7; fls – 6.

LITTLE RIVER INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS =

Scoring (53) = Jaxson Konen – 14; Logan Schubert – 11; Blayne Baldetti, Jaren Garrison – 9; Logan Renken – 8; Lincoln Raleigh – 2.

3-Pointers Made (6) = Konen, Renken – 2; Schubert, Garrison – 1.

Assists (7) = Garrison – 2; Konen, Schubert, Renken, Raleigh, Ty Janette – 1.

Rebounds (23) = Schubert – 10; Garrison – 4; Raleigh – 3; Konen, Baldetti – 2; Renken, Janette – 1.

Steals (2) = Schubert, Garrison – 1.

Blocked Shots (1) = Garrison – 1.

(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at macks.people.places@gmail.com)