Game #4 for the Alliance St. Agnes boy’s basketball varsity team was a tough one. Chadron came to town on Thursday and went town with a big win. The Academy varsity squad lost the opener 40 to 8 and also fell in the JV affair 39 to 30. With the loss, the Crusader varsity club dropped to 1 and 3 on the season. The visiting Cardinals roared to a 14 to 3 lead at half and were never threatened. Eighth grader Mason Conyers was SA top scorer with 5 points. In the junior varsity tilt, it was Chief Cody ending the night with 13 points including three 3 pointers to pace the Alliance offense.
Cold shooting by the Crusaders plagued SA in the first period of the varsity ball game. The Academy was shut out in the quarter and fell behind 6 to 0 after the first. Chadron then increased its lead to 10 after 2 early hoops in the second. A three by Conyers ended the drought for the hosts but the quarter closed with 4 more Cardinal tallies. At half, the Crusaders were down 14 to 3.
Period 3 began with 2 more baskets by the guests as the Card’s margin grew to 18 to 3. At the 4 minute mark, SA got another deuce by Conyers to get within 13. The visitors answered back with 9 straight to led 27 to 5 with less than a minute left. Quarter #3 closed with a buzzer beating three by Alliance’s Declan Kirchner. After three periods of play, the Cardinals had a 27 to 8 advantage. All Cards in the fourth. Alliance went scoreless in the period while the guests scored 13 tallies. Final Chadron 40 St. Agnes 8
CHAD 6 8 13 13 40
SA 0 3 5 0 8
Scoring for the Academy Conyers 5 Kirchner 3
Chadron survived a late comeback in the nightcap in getting the win 39 to 30. Alliance was down 8 at half but closed to within 5 in the final quarter before falling. Kirchner began the game with a bucket as the Crusaders took their lone lead of the contest. Chadron came back with a strong run and took an 11 to 2 lead after one. SA would outscored the guests in the second 9 to 8 to slice their deficit. The Crusaders got second period points from Cody, Liam Pena, and Tee Johnson to make it a 19 to 11 contest at half.
Seven Cody tallies in the third helped the hosts stay close. SA also got a three by Johnson and a two by Pena as the teams went to the fourth with the Academy down 28 to 23. Actions got heated in the finale with a Cardinal three and a trey by Cody. Down 9, a three ball by Johnson made the score Chadron 35 Alliance 29 with 2 minutes remaining. St. Agnes would get a free throw by Kirchner down the stretch but it wasn’t enough. Final Chadron 39 St. Agnes 30
CHAD 11 8 9 11 39
ALL 2 9 12 7 30
Scoring for the Crusaders Cody 13 Pena 6 Johnson 8 Kirchner 3
It will be a busy Catholic Schools week for the Academy. St. Agnes travels to Bridgeport on Monday and goes to Crawford on Thursday. Scottsbluff comes to town on Saturday.