by Brian Turrel
With the Frontier League championship on the line, and both teams holding an unblemished league record, the Piper Pirates defeated the Eudora Cardinals 58-50 at home Friday evening.
The game was tight through the first half. The Cardinals used their height to control the boards and extend offensive possessions. Senior Jaron Briggs hit 2 three-pointers during a stretch in the second quarter to open up a 7-point lead midway through, but Eudora scrambled back within a single point at the break.
The Pirates built out a more comfortable lead after the break, extending to 9 points and ending the quarter with the score 39-31. Aaron Simmons and Gannon Roth both hit shots from outside the arc in the quarter.
The Pirates won the game in the fourth quarter at the free throw line. Briggs hit eight free throw attempts and two baskets from the field to dominate the score sheet. A desperate run by the Cardinals, including 2 three-pointers from Logan Sullivan, closed the gap from 14 to 8 at the buzzer.
Briggs led the Pirates’ scoring with 22 points for the game, and Simmons scored 12. The Pirates attempted 39 free throws, and made 22.
In a ceremony before the game, Piper recognized seniors who participated in winter activities, including basketball, cheer, dance, band and power lifting. The four departing seniors from the boys’ basketball team, Briggs, Simmons, Blake Porter and Alex Ivanuska, were all in the starting lineup.
Piper finishes the regular season with a 13-7 overall record. Substate playoffs start next week, and the 10-10 Lansing Lions will travel to play at Piper in the first round. The game will take place on Tuesday, starting at 7 p.m.
