Mitchell Christian boys fall to Avon

By AARON SAUNDERS

The Daily Republic

With two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Mitchell Christian boys’ basketball team looked to be heading to its first victory in three games.

Despite being down by nine points at halftime, the Eagles were leading the Avon Pirates 37-33.

The perfect storm was brewing and either the game would end as a sweet, yet gritty, victory for MCHS or a loss more brutal than a Tarantino movie.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, it was the latter. The Pirates clawed their way back into the game with increased defensive pressure and knocked down critical shots, eventually winning the game 45-43 in overtime Tuesday at Mitchell Christian School.

“I thought our kids left it all out on the floor, and that is all you can ask for,” Mitchell Christian head coach Dennis Martin said.

Arguably the biggest shot came from the hands of Logan Powers, who hit a long jumper as the clock ran out to tie the game at 38 and send it to overtime.

Powers’ bucket was originally mistaken to be a 3-pointer by nearly everyone in the gymnasium, including the score keepers.

“I was really proud of our kids and the effort they gave and how hard they played,” Avon coach Brad Poppe said. “They never die, and they keep encouraging each other and working hard.”

Despite falling from an emotional high, Mitchell Christian came out and scored the first points in overtime. Adam Rasmussen, who finished with 16 points and five rebounds, recorded those points.

The Eagle offense only made one more shot from the field when Wes VanderPol, who finished with seven points, knocked down a three to bring Mitchell Christian to within one point.

After VanderPol’s bucket, the Eagles had one more opportunity to end the night on a high note when Aaron Lemon, who scored 10 points, had an open look at a 3-pointer to win the game. Lemon’s shot hit the front of the rim as time expired, and Mitchell Christian’s hopes of ending its three game losing streak was over.

“We drew up the play for him and we thought it was going to go, but he spent a lot of energy on the defensive end and his legs were a little shot,” Martin said.

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