WACO pulls away from Keota in boys basketball tournament

WACO — The Keota Eagles didn’t make it easy on the WACO boys basketball team on Monday night, but the Warriors wouldn’t be upset on their home floor.

WACO bounced back from a Keota comeback to knock the Eagles out of in the Class 1A Substate 5 tournament. The Warriors prevailed 65-46.

WACO started out hot against a Keota squad it beat by 23 points earlier this season. Just like the first matchup between the two, the Warriors jumped out to a lead with a strong first quarter, leading 20-8.

“We know we have a big height advantage down low,” said Colton Leichty, who spearheaded the inside attack early. “We just took it to the basket.”

But this time, Keota would punch right back. The Eagles clamped down on defense in the second quarter, holding WACO to just five points and bringing it to a five point game, at 25-20 just before halftime.

Keota continued to grind in the third quarter, even tying the game up at 27-27 before WACO regained its composure, but eventually the Warriors caught fire again.

“Our game plan finally came into play, where we got it into our high post to feed it down to the low post,” said WACO head coach Paul Kissell. “Just having the composure to get into that flow.”

WACO streaked back out to a 46-34 lead after three quarters and pulled away even more in the fourth quarter, all despite an 11-point second half from Keota’s Sawyer Stout.

“Their relentlessness kept wearing on us,” said Keota head coach Dan Stout. “We did a great job in the second quarter and a little bit in the third quarter, but they just kept coming and coming.”

As the game wore on, a much deeper WACO bench was able to keep the Warriors fresh. Keota, which was playing without injured star Colten Clarahan, had four fewer players see the floor than the hosting Warriors.

“Our press isn't just to generate turnovers. It's to wear you down,” Kissell said. “Depth is a big component of our team.”

Colton Leichty led WACO with 13 points in the win. Simeon Reichenbach scored 11. Reece Oswald had 10, and Hunter Hughes added nine.

In all, nine WACO players found the scoreboard. Isaac Oswald scored seven. Cody Grber had six. Chase Waterhouse scored five, and both Mason Miller and Vincent Jones had two.

Stout finished the night with 18 to lead Keota. Cole Kindred had 13. Evan Vittetoe scored eight. Caleb Waterhouse had three, Aiden Anderson chipped in two and Caden Sprouse scored one.

WACO (18-4) will now move on to the Substate 5 quarterfinals. The Warriors will host Montezuma on Thursday night. Keota ends its season at 11-12.