Late spurt pushes Panthers past Crusaders, 48-40
SALINA — Putting together a 10-2 run over the final three minutes, the Concordia Panthers knocked off the Buhler Crusaders 48-40 in the seventh-place game of the Salina Invitational Tournament Saturday afternoon at Salina South High School.
Concordia led the game 28-27 heading into the fourth quarter.
There were six lead changes and two ties in the first five minutes of the final period.
A basket by Isaiah Hernandez pulled Buhler even with Concordia at 38-38.
The Panthers then took control.
Corben Monzon knocked down a three-point shot and Wyatt Trost scored on a drive to give the Panthers a 43-38 lead with 2:05 remaining in the game.
Isaac Leshore scored to get Buhler within three points, 43-30, with 1:31 on the clock.
The Crusaders forced a Concordia turnover, but were unable to score.
Dyelan Reed made two free throws with 1:17 to play to put the Panthers up 45-40.
Following a missed three-point attempt by Matt Voth, Chas Carlgren was fouled.
Carlgren made one of two free throws to give Concordia a 46-40 cushion.
Buhler again misfired on a three-point attempt.
Carlgren knocked down two free throws with 44 seconds left to make it a 48-40 game.
The Crusaders were unable to score, and the Panthers ran out the clock.
“It was a good matchup. It was pretty closely contested all the way through. I thought we made a run at the right time and had a pretty confident game with it being the third game in three days,” Concordia coach Michael Roe said.
Concordia (3-9), the lone Class 3A team in the tournament field, lost to eventual champion Salina Central, a 5A team in the opening round on Thursday and Class 5A Liberal in the consolation bracket on Friday before knocking off Buhler, a 4A team.
“I have always looked at the SIT if you can come out with one win you have done what you needed to do. To get a win against a bigger school is always a good thing,” Roe said.
Salina Central downed Andover 57-43 in the championship game Saturday. Salina South defeated Wichita South 63-48 in the third-place game and Abilene got past Liberal 60-50 in the fifth-place game.
Buhler suffered losses to Andover and then Abilene its first two games.
Concordia led the Crusaders by as many as five points in the first quarter, and was up 9-5 heading into the second.
Three-point baskets by Voth and Drake Dick helped Buhler battle back to tie the game at 13-13.
Four straight points by Reed, who led all scorers with 17 points, gave Concordia a 17-13 advantage.
Buhler scored the next five points and had its first lead at 19-17.
Wyatt Trost scored inside, and then Reed got a steal and a layup as time ran out in the first half to put the Panthers back on top, 21-19.
A free throw by Trost and a jumper by Monzon extended Concordia’s lead to 24-19 in the
second half.
Hernandez hit two threes during an 8-0 spurt, and Buhler led 27-24.
Baskets by Carlgren and Trost put Concordia back on top 28-27 going into the fourth quarter.
The two teams exchanged the lead six times in the first four minutes of the final period.
Monzon hit the three that gave the Panthers the 41-38 they would not relinquish.
“In a tight game any time you can knock down a big three that is a huge momentum shift,” Roe said.
Reed had four steals to go with his 17 points.
Monzon finished with 15 points for the Panthers.
Trost scored nine points.
Carlgren scored five points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
Micah Montandon came off the bench to lead Buhler with 13 points.
Concordia plays a North Central Kansas League game at Abilene on Tuesday night.
CONCORDIA (48)
Williams 0-0-4 0, Trost 4-1-4 9, Monzon 5-1-2 15, Owen 1-0-2 2, Carlgren 1-3-5 5, Reed 6-4-3 17, Rosenbaum 0-0-1 0, Parker 0-0-1 0. Totals: 18-9-22 48.
BUHLER (40)
Sides 0-0-1 0, McDowell 0-0-1 0, Dick 2-0-1 6, Hernandez 3-0-1 8, Schoenhoff 0-0-1 0, Leshore 3-1-1 7, Voth 1-0-1 3, Montanden 6-1-1 13, Cook 1-1-5 33, Schamle 0-0-1 0. totals: 16-3-14 40.