Demons win the night

WASHINGTON — It was the most anticipated boys basketball game in the Southeast Conference all season long. The conference race all came down to Friday night as No. 4 Washington hosted No. 1 Fort Madison, and when the final buzzer sounded, it was the Demons who had answered the call.

The Demons edged the Bloodhounds 62-59, holding home court and gaining revenge for a 10-point loss in Fort Madison over one month earlier.

“We were ready for this moment,” said Washington head coach Collin Stark. “Credit to the guys for being ready for this opportunity.”

The win clinched at least a share of the SEC title for the Demons, who can win the league alone with a win over Keokuk next week.

“I would be lying to say this game wasn't circled,” Stark said. “This was kind of a bona fide conference championship.”

The two teams traded blows in the first quarter. A back-and-forth battle took place for the opening eight minutes, and it was Washington that grabbed momentum right before the first horn. Lucas Kroll scored two points on a put-back layup and the Demons led 17-16.

Washington turned it on in the second quarter. The Demons put up a game-high 20 points in the period, knocking down shot after shot to steal all the momentum before the halftime break, where the Demons held a 37-24 advantage.

But the Bloodhounds didn’t fold. Fort Madison put together a furious rush in the third quarter, cutting the lead to as low as two points before Washington held a 48-44 lead after three periods.

The lead was down to two again in the fourth quarter. Fort Madison had the ball down a pair with the chance to tie or take the lead in the final minute. Miles Dear, who scored 26 points on the night, had the ball in his hands, but his shot was off the mark.

Kasen Bailey was fouled with just five seconds left. After missing his first, he made his second to put the Demons up by three points.

Washington elected to foul and put Fort Madison at the line on the last possession. Dear missed his first free throw and Kroll came down with the rebound to ice the game, sending the Demon student section onto the court for a long-awaited celebration.

“It felt like I was in a dream, or a movie set,” said senior forward Lance Sobaski. “It felt so good to look up and not see an empty seat.”

Ethan Patterson led the team with 18 points, despite not scoring in the first quarter. He scored 13 of those 18 in the second half.

“I just had to get into my flow and try not to force anything,” Patterson said. “My teammates did a great job of setting me up.”

Kroll had 14. Bailey finished with 11, as did Sobaski, who played through a wrist injury that had kept him out of recent games.

“I felt amazing,” Sobaski said. “Adrenaline carried me through the whole game, and it just felt so good to be out there with them.”

Aden Six finished the night with four points. Ajay Six and Travis Leyden scored two apiece.

This is the third-straight SEC title for the Washington boys basketball team. The Demons won the league alone two years ago and split with Burlington last season.

“It means everything,” said Bailey after the game. “When we were younger, that's what we were hoping for, and working for. It means everything to do it with my buddies.”