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Cougars rebound for third
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HAYS — Playing for third place at the Class 1A-Division II basketball tournament is a hollow feeling.
Especially after a tough semifinal-round loss like Otis-Bison High School absorbed against Hope on Friday night.
But these Cougars are resilient and had some bounce-back  in them on Saturday afternoon in the boys’ consolation bracket at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
Trevor Keller torched Kiowa-South Barber for 24 points and Michael Hlavaty added 19, leading Otis-Bison to a 53-45 victory.
“If you’re going to play in a third-place game, you don’t want to lose and end your season with two straight losses,” Otis-Bison head coach Alan Clark said.
The Cougars, who fell behind 20-17 at halftime, matched their first-half point total in the third quarter — a 17-8 outburst for a 34-28 lead entering the final period.
“We just told our kids to relax and play their game,” Clark said.
Keller was a catalyst, knocking down 7 of 10 field goals, including 3-for-4 on 3-pointers, and also making all seven of his free-throw attempts.
Hlavaty made 12 of 16 free throws, as the Cougars finished 23-for-32 from the foul line.

                                                                                                       — Mack McClure

CLASS 1A-DIVISION I
STATE BASKETBALL
TOURNAMENT

CONSOLATION
Saturday
At Hays
Gross Memorial Coliseum

Otis-Bison High School 53,
Kiowa-South Barber 45
OTIS-BISON (16-10)
      Michael Hlavaty 3-9 12-16 19, Dylan Wissman 1-6 2-3 4, Jackie Cornwell 0-0 0-0 0, Dominic Trapp 0-4 0-0 0, Brandon Pechanec 1-2 1-2 3, Trevor Keller 7-10 7-7 24, Patrick Piper 1-4 1-2 3, Matthew Crotinger 0-1 0-0 0, Tyler Maier 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 13-36 23-32 53.
SOUTH BARBER (18-8)
     Kendall Clark 0-2 0-0 0, Christian Johnston 3-12 0-0 8, Jace Thurman 0-1 0-0 0, Luke Yearout 2-4 1-1 5, Dylon Molz 4-11 4-8 12, Blake Wagenbach 2-4 0-0 5, Logan Hitchcock 5-10 0-0 15. Totals 16-44 5-9 45.
Otis-Bison            9   8   17   19  — 53
South Barber       9   11   8   17   — 45
     Three-point goals — Otis-Bison 4-13 (Keller 3-4, Hlavaty 1-4, Trapp 0-3, Wissman 0-2); South Barber 8-22 (Hitchcock 5-9, Johnston 2-9, Wagenbach 1-2, Clark 0-1, Thurman 0-1). Rebounds — Otis-Bison 33 (Trapp 7, Keller 6); South Barber 21 (Yearout 7).