BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
KINGMAN — Defending 2A state basketball champion Sterling played with the poise of a champion as the Black Bears downed Great Bend 74-62 to capture Saturday's Kingman Basketball Classic title.
Sterling's all-tournament Boston Ekart outperformed Great Bend's all-tournament Ian Premer with a 25-point night. Premer worked hard for a 17-point night with 5 of 15 shooting against multiple Sterling defenders. Premer missed his first five field goals.
The Black Bears beat the Panthers off the dribble consistently and converted 26 of 39 free throws by attacking in the paint. Most hard drives to the basket were awarded with free throws.
Sterling's offensive balance won virtually every matchup against the Panthers' defense with Jacob Lewis (14), Zane Farney (13) and Wyatt Newberry (13) scoring in double figures.
Panther Jacob Hall kept the Panthers within striking range with a solid 19-point night off 9 of 14 shooting. Point guard Daxton Minton scored six points, but was off balance all night after drawing two fouls in the first two minutes. Minton achieved the rare feat of six assessed fouls by drawing a technical foul after departing with his fifth foul.
Sterling's 7-turnover night kept Great Bend's dangerous transition game under wraps. The Panthers gave away 15 possessions with turnovers.
The story of the night was Great Bend's erratic free throw shooting.
The Panthers made 50% (24-48) on guarded field goals, and 36% on unguarded free throws (12 of 33). It was a team effort as Cooper Ohnmacht's 57% (4-7) led the Panthers' uncharitable performance from the line. Great Bend converted 2 of 11 on 3-pointers (18%).
Sterling and Great Bend played hard-nosed man-to-man defense, but it was rare when that defense was rewarded for two aggressive physically talented defensive teams.
Give the 3-man officiating crew credit for consistency. More than 10 fouls were called in all four quarters in a game featuring 72 free throws and 55 fouls.
The Panthers didn't play a pressure scheme or a trapping defense until the final minute when Sterling held a double-digit lead.
Sterling led 10-2 and 24-16 and settled for a 33-26 halftime lead on two free throws by Jacob Lewis with three seconds left.
Ian Premer converted 1 of 6 field goals in a 6-point half. The Panthers made 6 of 14 free throws while Sterling made 8 of 14 charity tosses.
The first half was officiated tightly with 22 fouls and 28 free throws. Eight players were tagged with at least two first-half fouls.
Sterling 16 17 17 24 — 74
Great Bend 12 14 13 23 — 62
STERLING (FG/3/FT/TP)—Ekart 9-16 (1-1) 6-11 25; Farney 3-5 7-12 13; Newberry 4-8 (1-3) 4-6 13; Lewis 4-6 6-6 14; Smith 3-9 (0-1) 3-4 9; Totals 23-44 (2-4) 26-39 74
GREAT BEND (FG/3/FT/TP)—Hall 9-14 (1-3) 0-3 19; Ian Premer 5-15 (1-4) 6-13 17; Ohnmacht 4-8 4-7 12; Minton 3-5 (0-1) 0-0 6; Stroup 2-3 (0-1) 1-4 5; Alec Premer 1-3 (0-2) 1-4 3; Totals 24-48 (2-11) 12-33 62
Technicals—Minton, Ekart
KINGMAN BOYS CLASSIC—1ST—Sterling 74, Great Bend 62; 3RD—Meade 65, Haven 54; 5TH—Clearwater 55, Kingman 49; SECOND ROUND—Great Bend 78, Haven 44; Sterling 76, Kingman 34; FIRST ROUND—Great Bend 77, Clearwater 37; Meade 57, Kingman 35; Sterling 73, Meade 44; Haven 48, Clearwater 34
ALL TOURNAMENT—Sterling (Boston Ekart, Blake Smith, Zane Farney); Great Bend (Ian Premer, Daxton Minton); Haven (Brogan Wray); Meade (Samuel Lynn); Kingman (Dawson Wood)
