Staff writer
The Peabody-Burns High School Warriors are now 15-2 with a win Feb. 9 over Canton-Galva, 64-31, and a Friday homecoming overtime victory over Inman, 44-41.
With three games remaining in the regular season, the PBHS squad is 15-2. The remaining schedule includes two road matchups — at Hutch Trinity and Ell-Saline. The final contest of the season will be Feb. 23 with a senior night home competition against Berean Academy.
Canton-Galva
Jacob Simmonds scored the first 4 points of the contest against the Eagles. Canton-Galva put in a 2, but PBHS added a trey from Simmonds and a basket from Sean Jones to make the gap 7 at 9-2, with 5 minutes left in the quarter. With a 5-point run, the Eagles closed the margin to 2, 9-7, but PBHS pulled away to end the period with the 14-8 lead. Simmonds had 10 points in the first. Jones and Isaac Burnett each had 2.
Jones opened the second quarter with a 2-point basket followed by two baskets from Martin Hofkamp. The Eagles scored a basket, but Aaron Topham and Simmonds each added a basket and the PBHS squad led, 21-10, with 4 minutes left in the second period. The PBHS offense continued to score with a free throw from Storm Pickens and baskets from Simmonds, Hofkamp, and Jones. The Eagles ended the half with a 4-point run, but the Warriors had the 30-18 advantage at halftime.
PBHS offense exploded in the third period with 19 points. Brian O’Neal had 8, Simmonds added 7, and Brody Kyle got on the board with 4. Warrior defense held Canton-Galva to 8 points. PBHS led, 49-24, at the end of the third quarter.
The Warrior offense outscored the Eagles, 15-5, in the final quarter of the contest. Jones had 4, Matt Hiebert had 3, and Pickens, Steffen Pospiech, Simmonds, and Hofkamp each had 2.
The Warriors were victorious over Canton-Galva, 64-31.
Simmonds led the offense with 24 points. Jones added 10, O’Neal 8, Hofkamp 6, Kyle 4, Pickens and Hiebert 3 each, and Pospiech, Burnett, and Topham 2 each.
Inman
Inman scored a 2-point basket to open the contest. Jones hit one of two from the line. O’Neal followed with a fast breaking 2 and the Warriors had an early lead, 3-2. Inman regained the lead but Topham put in a 2-pointer and again the Warriors led, 5-4, with 4 minutes left in the first quarter. The offense slowed for both squads for the remainder of the period. Inman put in a basket with a minute and a half to play in the quarter and the Teutons kept the 2-point edge at the buzzer, 7-5.
Four Inman free throws made the Warrior deficit 11-5 with 6:27 on the clock in the second quarter. Two baskets from Simmonds and a basket from Topham closed the gap and tied the score with 5 minutes left in the half. Two O’Neal free throws gave the Warriors the 13-11 lead and Simmonds added 2 points to take the lead, 15-11. Inman added one more basket in the quarter. O’Neal added another Warrior 2-pointer and Simmonds added a basket from the line. The PBHS team led, 19-13, at halftime.
Hofkamp got on the board with two free throws to open the third quarter. Simmonds and O’Neal followed with a basket each. Inman added 2 points. After one from the line from Pickens, Inman added 7 points to cut the Warrior lead to 4, 26-22. An Inman foul followed by a technical foul on the Inman bench netted the Warriors 3 points — one from Simmonds and two from O’Neal. PBHS had the 29-22 edge at the end of the third period.
Inman outscored the PBHS squad, 14-7, in the fourth quarter. Simmonds opened the period with a free throw but Inman went on a 10-point run and took the lead, 32-30, with 4 minutes remaining to play in the quarter. Two Simmonds free throws tied the game at 32 but an Inman trey again gave the Teutons the edge, 35-32. Simmonds cut the margin to 2 with a free throw. Topham scored next for the PBHS squad and the trey gave the Warriors the 1-point advantage, 36-35, with 26 seconds left in regulation.
A late Warrior foul with 4 seconds left in the game put Inman on the line. The Teutons connected with one of two to tie the game at 36 and put the contest into overtime.
An Inman free throw was the first score in the extra 4-minute period. Burnett put in a basket to give the Warriors the lead, 38-37, but two Inman free throws gave the edge back to the Teutons.
Topham shot a trey with 2:30 on the clock to give the Warriors a cushion, 41-39. Inman answered with a free throw but Simmonds came back with 2 points from the line. Jones sunk the back half of a basket from the line to give the Warriors the 4-point lead, 44-40, with less than a minute left in overtime.
Inman cut the margin to 3 with a free throw but two Teuton shots from outside the arc fell short and PBHS took the win, 44-41.
Simmonds had 17 in the contest. O’Neal and Topham had 10 each, Burnett, Jones, and Hofkamp 2 each, and Pickens 1.