(Anita) Earlier this season the CAM boys basketball team let one slip away against Exira-EHK. Friday night in Elk Horn the Cougars made sure history didn’t repeat itself.
Despite giving up an 8-0 run in the first quarter, CAM was able to reclaim control and pick up their 10th win of the season. The Cougars avenge a 61-51 overtime loss to the Spartans with a 61-54 win. Colby Rich had 19 points and Connor McKee scored 10. Ethan Arp and Lane Spieker each added nine. CAM made nine 3-pointers and went 9/14 at the line.
CAM jumped in front 7-2, but went cold over the final few minutes of the opening frame. Back-to-back three’s by Rich and McKee turned a 13-11 deficit into a 17-13 lead and they wouldn’t trail again. The visitors pushed the edge to as many as eight in the first half, before settling for a 29-27 lead at the break.
Exira-EHK closed the gap to one point on a pair of occasions in the 3rd, but CAM never crumbled. The most breathing room the Cougars managed in the third quarter was six points, but that was brief. A 6-2 Spartan close to the third brought the home squad within two at 44-42 going into the fourth.
Exira-EHK made some big 3’s from Tyler Petersen and Cash Emgarten in the 4th and twice were within one point, but Rich, Spieker, Sam Foreman, and Wyatt Gettler all had big responses for CAM. Exira-EHK was within 53-52 in the 4th, but CAM scored 8 of the game’s final 10 points. McKee and Rich were a combined 6/6 at the line on the night.
Exira-EHK’s top scorer was Tyler Petersen with 15. Cash Emgarten scored 13 with Jackson Radcliff and Easton Nelson each pitching in 10. Exira-EHK drops to 9-9.
