Hosting the opening round of substate for their fourth straight home game, the Clifton-Clyde boys basketball team went 1-2 and dropped the opening round game to Burlingame, ending the season with a 12-12 record.
Versus Burlingame, the Eagles lost 47-41.
After an early battle for the lead, the Eagles took a 9-7 lead thanks to a Landon Begnoche layup. Burlingame would score five straight points to retake the lead, 12-9, to end the first quarter.
Clifton-Clyde would keep up with the Bearcats’ interior attack with their outside attack, even taking the lead 21-20 on a Gage LeClair three with under four minutes to go in the quarter. After some back and forth, Burlingame hit a three at the buzzer to take a 27-26 lead entering halftime.
A Luke Nobert three-pointer would give the Eagles the lead back, 29-27, and a fight for the lead would recommence in the third quarter. Burlingame would hold a slim 37-35 lead with one quarter to go.
Burlingame would create some ground, leading 42-35 with under three minutes to go, before a Nobert three gave the Eagles their first points of the quarter. Burlingame would take a 46-38 lead, before an Ethan Sacco three made it 46-31 with 12 seconds to go, but the Bearcats iced the game with a free throw to go up six, and end the Eagles’ season.
Versus number one-ranked Axtell, Cllifton-Clyde lost 61-31.
After Clifton-Clyde opened the game with a Landon Begnoche jumper to take the early lead, Axtell would take the lead before CC tied it up at 4. Axtell went on a 19-2 run to end the quarter with a 23-6 lead.
Cifton-Clyde’s offense couldn’t get much going in the second quarter. Outside of an Ethan Sacco three, they didn’t get their second basket of the quarter until Gage LeClair made a three to make it a 30-12 game with 2:51 left in the half. Axtell would push their lead to 24 to end the half, leading 38-14.
The third quarter would be slightly better for Clifton-Clyde. Axtell wasn’t able to create more separation, but Clifton-Clyde couldn’t chip away at the lead, as Axtell ended the third quarter with a 50-23 lead.
With a running clock in the fourth, Clifton-Clyde’s hope for a comeback drained quickly, as they’d drop the senior day match 61-31.
Versus number 10-ranked Linn, the Eagles won 50-48.
Linn jumped out to the lead early, but the Eagles would keep the game in reach when they were able to create quality offensive possessions. A Gage LeClair half-court shot at the buzzer would make it a 16-12 Bulldog lead at the end of the first quarter.
Linn would shut down the Eagle offense, limiting them to only three points in the quarter as the second quarter would be a defensive slugfest. LeClair would score five points in the final minute of the half to make it a one-possession game, 23-20 Linn, entering the locker room.
The third quarter became an offensive battle, as Linn tried to hold onto the lead as the Eagles tried to take it. CC would take the lead 29-27 with 5:55 thanks to a Landon Begnoche and-one, but Linn would retaliate with a 10-3 run to retake the lead and end the quarter with a 37-32 lead.
Linn pushed their lead to eight, 44-36, to start the fourth quarter, but seven straight Eagle points would cut the lead down to one with under three minutes to go. Linn would make two baskets to make it 48-43 with 1:42 to go, a LeClair free throw and an Emitt Tiemeyer and-one, making it 48-47. The Eagles forced a turnover with 11 seconds to go. Luke Nobert made a wide-open layup to take the lead, with LeClair making a layup to make it a 50-48 game to upset the Bulldogs.
Luke Nobert and Gage Leclair each had 13 points, with LeClair having six assists and four rebounds.
Emitt Tiemeyer had nine points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
