Sullivan Basketball Teams Vanquish St. Clair
The Eagles had a big week. The boys and girls teams played games together for the second time this week. Friday was a big night for both teams with their youth teams being recognized at halftime during each game. The energy was up and the football team revealed their state football banner between the two games. That extra energy was exactly what Sullivan needed to win their games on Friday night against St. Clair. The Lady Eagles played first and won, 62-30. Sullivan’s boys kept up the momentum and defeated the Bulldogs, 42-37.
Girls
The game was back and forth in the first quarter, but Sullivan ran away with the lead in the second quarter and didn’t look back. Seniors - Abby Peterson, Olivia Witt, Dakayla McClain and Kylee McReynolds - were on fire on Friday night. The Lady Eagles defeated the Lady Bulldogs, 62-30.
In the first quarter, the game was pretty evenly matched. Witt stole the ball and landed the layup. Peterson did the same and St. Clair took a timeout with five and a half minutes left. Witt landed a three point basket and the Lady Bulldogs tied the game. Sullivan broke the tie and led to end the first, 14-12.
In the second quarter, Sullivan kept control of the scoreboard. St. Clair’s Vada Moore stole the ball and grabbed a layup on a fast break to the hoop. DaPhane Polanowski drilled a three point basket in and McReynolds landed two layups back to back. Witt drained another three pointer from the top of the key. After a St. Clair timeout, Peterson netted two free throws. Witt was amazing on defense and stole the ball twice. When she stole the ball the second time, she passed it to Peterson under the hoop for a layup. The Lady Eagles led to end the first half, 28-14.
In the third quarter, St. Clair added more points, but Sullivan held the lead. McReynolds sailed another three pointer. Peterson followed a St. Clair score with a layup. Moore added three free throws and Sullivan’s Head Coach Jordan Flora decided to take a timeout. Witt powered through the opponents and jammed in another layup. Moore landed another layup and McClain claimed two more layups back to back. Alex Bylo ended the quarter with a score from the free throw line, 41-25.
In the fourth quarter, Sullivan secured the win. Peterson netted another layup and followed it with two free throws. She kept control with another layup and Witt swished another three point basket wide open from the top of the key. McClain added another layup from under the hoop after Hayli Venable missed a three point basket. Raegan Johnson notched two more free throws before St. Clair added a three point basket. Molly Lohden drained a three pointer and Venable added two free throws. Johnson jumped with her three point basket and the game ended with a layup by St. Clair’s Bella Shelden. The Lady Eagles defeated the Lady Bulldogs, 62-30.
Official stats were unavailable at press time.
Boys
Sullivan took control of the game early when they outscored St. Clair in the first, 15-3. The Eagles were outscored in the second and third, but Sullivan outscored the Bulldogs by three in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs put up a good fight on Friday night, but Sullivan was victorious, 42-37.
In the first quarter, the Eagles were motivated from the beginning. Gabe Dace drew first blood with a three point basket. Sam Summers added a layup to their lead and St. Clair’s Issac Nunez scored the first layup for the Bulldogs. Gabe Dace answered back with another three pointer and St. Clair notched a free throw before they took a timeout a little over four minutes left. Drake Gawer dribbled through the opponents and scored a layup. He followed it up with a three point basket, and Summers powered through with a flying layup. Sullivan led the Bulldogs, 15-3.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs outscored Sullivan, but the Eagles held the strong lead. Summers notched another layup and St. Clair’s Hayden Johnson answered back with a three point basket. Summers can power through the defense and did just that when he scored another layup. Nunez drained another layup before Gavin Dace drained a three point basket. St. Clair’s Johnny Chapman notched a layup before Sullivan’s Head Coach Dino McKinney took a timeout. St. Clair’s Jordan Rodrigue added a layup to bridge the gap, but Sullivan led at the end of the first half, 24-17.
In the third quarter, St. Clair added ten more points and Sullivan added half of that. Gawer sank another three point basket to start the second half. Nunez and Rodrigue added more baskets and Gabe Dace added another layup. Nunez blasted a layup to end the quarter, 29-27.
In the fourth quarter, Sullivan outscored St. Clair again to secure the win. Gabe Dace danced through defenders to grab another layup. St. Clair took the lead after a three point basket, but Gavin Dace took the lead back after a layup. Rodrigue answered back on a huge fast break after he came down with the rebound. Sullivan took the lead back when Gavin Dace notched another layup. He netted another layup and drew a foul on the shot. Gabe Dace scored a layup with under a minute left and Seth Valley scored the final two free throws of the game. The Eagles secured the win over St. Clair, 42-37.
Gabe Dace led in points with 15. He was followed by his brother Gavin with nine. Summers and Gawer each had eight. Seth Valley finished with two points.
Sullivan’s defense forced eleven turnovers and four steals. The Eagles collected eighteen rebounds. Gabe and Gavin Dace led with four rebounds each. Gawer and Summers grabbed three. Valley and Cambrian Koch each finished with two.