DODGE CITY – Short memories and quick responses. 

That was the mindset Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton coach Lance Bergmann wanted from his Blujays in Thursday’s semifinal against Norwich. 

“Our goal the entire time: Answer anything that happens on the defensive end. Just get the ball out, get in transition, get a good shot,” Bergmann said. 

Beloit-St. John’s led the whole fourth quarter but had to fend off a pesky Norwich squad that remained on the Blujays’ heels until the final three minutes. 

Gabriel Roderick and Edward Horinek drained big shots down the stretch to help Beloit-St. John’s gain separation and notch a 61-53 win at United Wireless Arena to send the Blujays to Saturday’s Class 1A Division I title game to face South Central. 

“When we sped up the pace a little, it allowed us to play our offensive game,” Bergmann said. “And then we started moving the basketball. And when we moved the basketball inside, out and side-to-side, then our shots start falling because we're just making extra passes. We're finding open guys and we're shooting with confidence.”

Roderick and Horinek each struggled to find their shooting touch at times, but found their stroke when it mattered. 

After a 3-pointer from Norwich’s Kyedon Schroeder brought the Eagles within 3 in the fourth quarter, Roderick scored five quick points. Horinek later hit a 3 to restore an 8-point lead, followed by a Blujay steal and layup by Roderick to seal it. 

Roderick finished with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting while Horinek was 6 of 18 from the floor for 15 points. 

“Gabe missed some shots early, and they were good shots that we're used to him making,” Bergmann said. “I'm looking at him like, ‘Dude, he's going to hit those shots in the second half. If we keep getting those same shots, they're going to start going in.’ ”

Horinek also shook off a few cold spells to come up clutch with the late 3. 

“I pulled him off to the side after he missed a couple of layups,” Bergmann said. “He kind of gets into himself, gets worked up a little bit. I said, ‘Just calm down. Everything's going to go. It's coming. Just be patient. Understand Gabe's hitting shots. Gabe's got it. You're fine.’

“And then (Horinek) relaxed, came back out, and he got back to the Ed we're used to, trusting his teammates.”

Unfortunately, the Blujays’ elation of reaching the championship was tempered in the final minute after Horinek dislocated his right thumb while going for a loose ball. 

Bergmann said the injury scare put a damper on the celebration, but he was optimistic that Horinek, who averages 22 points per game, would be able to play in Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. title game, noting it was a straight dislocation. 

“It was just a little shot in the gut,” Bergmann said. “Hopefully they can get it situated. We just pray that he is able to get fixed up and be able to play on Saturday.

“If not, then the rest of the kids have to step up and battle and do everything they can to make up.”

Norwich led 13-10 at the end of the first quarter and 20-17 at halftime before getting outscored by 11 in the second half. 

Jayden Benge poured in a game-high 25 points for the 23-5 Eagles, who will meet Central Plains in Friday’s 3:30 p.m. third-place game. 

Dominic Eilert scored nine points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Blujays. 

Beloit-St. John’s will welcome the extra day between the championship game. 

“We’ll just gather ourselves, figure out what's going on with Edward and then kind of get our legs back and just kind of relax a little (Friday),” Bergmann said.

“Having that extra day is going to be huge for us.”
 

SOUTH CENTRAL SHUTS DOWN CENTRAL PLAINS IN FOURTH QUARTER

The fourth quarter has been where buckets go to die for South Central’s opponents in the Class 1A Division I tournament. 

After holding Kiowa County to three points in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s quarterfinal win, South Central dominated down the stretch again, giving up two points in the final frame in Thursday’s 49-30 semifinal win over Central Plains.

Central Plains cut a 13-point deficit down to five late in the third quarter before the Timberwolves unleashed a 15-0 run to break away and reach the title game for the second straight year. 

“We didn’t feel pressure at all,” South Central senior standout Jack Herd said. “We stayed together, we talked it out. We knew defense would set the tone and we went out and made every defensive play matter.”

Herd sparked South Central (22-4) with two quick buckets to open the fourth quarter and the Timberwolves continued to gain separation. He finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds, adding 4 blocks and 3 steals. 

“I know I’m the leader of this team, and to get us fired up and going again, I knew I needed to knock down a couple shots to get them focused on me, and then I could dish to my teammates,” Herd said. 

South Central set the tone early by crashing the offensive boards. The Timberwolves led 16-9 at the end of the first quarter and 30-17 at halftime.

South Central finished with a 27-13 rebound edge, grabbing 15 offensive rebounds. 

“We knew one advantage we thought we did have was on the boards, and I thought that the kids were super aggressive and did a great job of getting some extra opportunities,” South Central coach Bud Valerius said. “They (Oilers) shoot the ball so well. If it was a shooting game, we might not win, but if we could shoot and go get it, that gave us a better chance.”

Eli Girk added 11 points for South Central, and Easton Huck dished out six assists.

Camden Stiles was the only Oiler in double figures, scoring 11. The Oilers will look to rebound in Friday’s third-place game against Norwich. 

South Central was runner-up to Olpe last year. The Timberwolves are searching for their first basketball state championship after winning their first football state title last fall.

“If we could (sweep football and basketball championships),  that would be the best feeling,” Herd said. “That’s all that is on our mind right now.”

“It’s kind of nice to be able to kind of digest this and put a game plan together and have a practice (Friday),” Valerius said. “We know what’s there Saturday. It's going to be a dog fight, lots of pressure, but there's nobody that's played in more big games than our kids, and I think they'll be ready.”

CLASS 1A DIVISION I BOYS SEMIFINALS BOXSCORES

SOUTH CENTRAL 49, CENTRAL PLAINS 30

South Central … 16 … 12 … 7 … 14 … – … 49
Central Plains … 9 … 8 … 11 … 2 … – … 30

South Central (22-4) – Huck 0-3 2-2 2, Thronesbery 1-3 1-2 4, Herd 9-13 3-7 21, E. Girk 5-8 1-2 11, Willems 2-5 0-0 4, Price 2-3 0-0 6, I. Girk 0-1 1-2 1, Woolfolk 0-0 0-0 0, Ellis 0-0 0-0 0, Ju. Petty 0-0 0-0 0, Je. Petty 0-0 0-0 0, York 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-36 8-15 49.

Central Plains (25-3) – Crites 3-11 0-0 6, Stiles 2-3 5-6 11, Lamatsch 0-1 0-0 0, Dody 2-3 2-2 7, Siemsen 3-7 0-0 6, Soeken 0-0 0-0 0, Klima 0-0 0-0 0, Kempke 0-0 0-0 0, Schepmann 0-0 0-0 0, Pflughhoeft 0-0 0-0 0, Hoffman 0-0 0-0 0, Daniels 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 10-26 7-8 30.

3-point goals — South Central 3-9 (Price 2-3, Thronesbery 1-2; Huck 0-3, Willems 0-1); Central Plains 3-8 (Stiles 2-3; Dody 1-1, Crites 0-1, Siemsen 0-2, Lamatsch 0-1). Rebounds — South Central 27 (Herd 14), Central Plains 13 (Crites 5). Assists — South Central 16 (Huck 6), Central Plains 7 (Crites 5). Turnovers — South Central 13, Central Plains 14. Total fouls — South Central 9, Central Plains 14. Fouled out – none.  BELOIT-ST. JOHN'S/TIPTON 61, NORWICH 53

Norwich … 13 … 7 … 13 … 20 … – … 53

Beloit-St. John/Tipton … 10 … 7 … 18 … 26 … – … 61

Norwich (23-5) – Benge 9-20 3-3 25, K. Schroeder 2-3 0-1 5, E. Schroeder 1-5 1-1 3, Kelly 3-11 1-2 7, Hilger 1-10 0-0 3, Adams 5-10 0-2 10. Totals 21-59 5-9 53.

Beloit-St. John's /Tipton (23-2) – Goodaker 2-5 2-2 7, Horinek 6-18 1-1 15, Rabe 1-4 0-0 2, Roderick 8-16 4-4 22, Eilert 3-8 3-4 9, Thomas 2-3 0-2 6, Mick 0-0 0-0 0, Phillips 0-0 0-0 0, Walter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-54 10-13 61.

3-point goals — Norwich 6-22 (Benge 4-9, Hilger 1-5, K. Schroeder 1-2; Kelly 0-5, E. Schroeder 0-1); Beloit-St. John's/Tipton 7-17 (Thomas 2-2, Horinek 2-5, Roderick 2-5, Goodaker 1-2; Rabe 0-3). Rebounds — Norwich 37 (Benge 6), Beloit-St. John's Tipton 36 (Eilert 13). Assists — Norwich 12 (Benge 5), Beloit-St. John's 17 (Roderick 6). Turnovers — Norwich 12, Beloit-St. John's/Tipton 9.