BOYS BASKETBALL: Missed FTs hurt WHS in loss to Blackjacks

DAWSON — Free throws were the difference as the Worthington Trojans boys basketball team lost a 63-62 non-conference contest to the Class 1A ninth-ranked Dawson-Boyd Blackjacks on Saturday.

The Trojans missed a pair from the stripe with 2 seconds left that sealed their fate. Worthington finished the game 11-for-21 on free throws, while Dawson-Boyd converted 9 of 11.

“We left a lot of points from the line out there,” Trojans head coach Ron Vorwald said. “We need to capitalize when we get to line because they can’t guard you from there. We’ve got to make them.”

Prior to the missed chances at the foul line, Dawson-Boyd’s Nathaniel Huot knocked down an open 3 that was the eventual game-winner in the closely-played game.

“It was an evenly-contested basketball game,” Vorwald said. “It was back-and-forth — we’d make a run, they’d make a run. No more than a four-to-six point lead at any time.”

Michael Lee led the Blackjacks’ effort with a game-high double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds. Lee converted 11 of his 15 shots from the field, including 10-for-10 from inside the arc.

Huot finished with 22 points and collected four steals, while Joey Lee dished out eight assists, grabbed seven boards and added 10 points.

“(Dawson-Boyd is) a pretty good basketball team,” Vorwald added. “(The Blackjacks) have three very good players.

“We had good balance again and it could’ve went either way. Unfortunately, we ended up on the short end of things.”

Three players reached double-figure scoring for the Trojans as Marcus Potter scored 15, Will Dudley posted 13 and Spencer Grafing totaled 11.

Grafing and Morgan Traylor topped the Worthington rebounding chart with nine boards each. Other Trojans’ statistical leaders came from Potter with three assists and Jon Vorwald with three steals.

Worthington (6-3), which saw its four-game winning streak come to an end with the loss, returns to action Tuesday night. The Trojans host Jackson County Central in a Southwest Conference game.

DAWSON-BOYD 63, WORTHINGTON 62

WORTHINGTON (6-3): Vorwald 1-5 0-0 3, Vander Veen 3-3 0-0 6, Dudley 4-11 5-8 13, Potter 7-11 1-4 15, Gravenhof 1-2 1-2 4, Mulder 0-1 2-2 2, Traylor 4-6 0-1 8, Grafing 4-11 2-4 11. Totals: 24-50 11-21 62.

DAWSON-BOYD (9-1): Huot 6-19 6-7 22, Stelter 0-3 2-2 2, J. Lee 5-15 0-1 10, Collins 2-2 0-0 5, M. Lee11-15 1-1 24, Aafedt 0-2 0-0 0, Stratmoen 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 24-58 9-11 63.

Halftime: Worthington 33, Dawson-Boyd 33. 3-Point Goals: Worthington 3 (Vorwald, Gravenhof, Grafing); Dawson-Boyd 6 (Huot 4, Collins, M. Lee). Rebounds: Worthington 31 (Traylor 9, Grafing 9); Dawson-Boyd 31 (M. Lee 11). Assists: Worthington 10 (Potter 3); Dawson-Boyd 13 (J. Lee 8). Steals: Worthington 5 (Vorwald 3, Potter 2); Dawson-Boyd 7 (Huot 4). Turnovers: Worthington 15; Dawson-Boyd 10. Fouls: Worthington 9; Dawson-Boyd 15.

Tags: sports, boys, basketball, trojans, prep