Borgia Slips Past Sullivan
Through the first four minutes of the third quarter on Friday, it appeared Borgia would pull away and leave Sullivan with a routine victory.
Coming out on an 8-2 run, the Knights had opened a 35-26 lead with 4:47 left to go in the period.
Suddenly, the Eagles found their 3-point mojo and made it a game. Jordan Woodcock hit a pair of 3’s to eventually cut the deficit to 39-36.
Dallas Blankenship stepped up to knock down two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and Dillon Farrell’s trey with 2:40 remaining got the Eagles within 49-47.
While the offense found its groove, the defense struggled to get stops. Each Sullivan basket was answered on the other end by Borgia.
The Knights would go on to win 54-49. Cole Weber, who finished with 10 points, scored on three consecutive trips down following a Sullivan basket in the third quarter. That helped the Knights fend off a rally.
Trent Strubberg notched 15 points and had a flair for the dramatic. He nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key with time running out in the first half, extending Borgia’s lead to 28-24.
As time was winding down in the third quarter, he had a step-back 3-pointer to help the Knights close out on a 6-0 run and hold a 45-36 lead.
Strubberg would go on to hit a pair of free throws with seven seconds left and keep the Eagles from a game-tying 3.
Sullivan held Borgia’s leading scorer Alex Brinkmann to five points and three field goal attempts, but Strubberg, Weber and Andrew Patton made up for it.
Max Meyers scored nine points on three 3-pointers.
Borgia consistently weathered Sullivan’s rallies and got clutch baskets when they needed them.
The Eagles trailed 15-8 with 1:57 to go in the first quarter. A 3-pointer by Woodcock and a three-point play by Farrell brought Sullivan back within a point.
A 6-0 run by the Eagles allowed them to take a 19-18 lead with 4:38 to go, but Andrew Dyson scored all five of his points in a 47-second span to push Borgia back ahead.
Woodcock had his third 3-pointer of the first half with 38 seconds left, bringing the Eagles within 25-24. It was met by Strubberg near the buzzer.
Borgia came out rolling to start the second half. Patton helped the Knights out to a 35-26 lead.
Owen Farrell, who was held scoreless in the first half, finally got on the board with 4:30 to go. Woodcock drained his fourth 3 to make it 35-31.
After Weber scored to give Borgia a six-point lead, Wiese scored on a baseline cut. The Knights went back to Weber on the next possession.
When Woodcock uncorked his fifth 3-pointer, Weber responded with a trey of his own. Strubberg’s 3-pointer gave the Knights a 46-36 lead going into the final period.
The back-and-forth continued, with Blankenship using a pair of 3-pointers to spark the Eagles.
Owen Farrell laid in a put-back with 4:18 left and Blankenship drew a charging foul a minute later. That set up Dillon Farrell’s 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 49-47.
Meyers generated the response for Borgia, sinking a pivotal 3 to restore a five-point lead. Dillon Farrell would cut it back to three with 1:40 left and the Eagles got the ball back after a Borgia turnover with 1:20 remaining. However, Woodcock’s 3-point attempt was off and the Eagles were unable to draw any closer.