This one can be filed under “might have been.”
Bellefontaine played its final home game of the 2024-25 regular season against Jonathan Alder Friday, and was in control for much of the night.
But a big drought in the final period led to a 60-54 loss in Central Buckeye Conference boys basketball action.
The Chieftains are now 3-5 in league play and 9-10 overall. The Pioneers, who lead the Kenton Trail division, are 8-1 in the CBC and 16-3 overall.
Jair Mundy had 17 points for Bellefontaine and Grayson Lotts scored 11.
“We were proud of how hard (the kids) worked,” said Chieftains coach Henry Stolly. “I know that’s no consolation to some of these guys that really wanted to win that game tonight, but we need to keep bringing that effort. So we need to be consistent now from this point on, and give that kind of effort.”
He noted that “I felt like (Alder) picked up their intensity in that fourth quarter and we weren’t making the shots during that period. And give them credit, they outscored us 15-4 in that last stanza, and we didn’t make enough plays there to beat a good team like that.”
Noah Hess of the Pioneers led all scorers with 27 points, including five 3-pointers. Danny Bentley had nine.
The game was held before a large crowd, with second graders performing the national anthem and elementary school cheerleaders performing at halftime.
Patrick Stolly got the Chieftains rolling early, scoring on a fast-break, off an assist by Mundy and then a jumper. Alder had a three-pointer by Sam Cramer and a two by Hess to keep it close.
The teams then traded 3-balls, with Lotts hitting from the corner, and Hess answering a couple minutes later.
Bellefontaine kept rolling, going on a 8-2 run, with a baseline jumper by Lotts, a turnaround shot from Salyer, Lotts setting up Mundy, and a bank shot from Salyer. That pushed their lead out to seven, 17-10.
Hess hit a three with 30 seconds to go, but Mundy got the quarter’s final score at the buzzer to make the lead six.
After another score by Mundy, Alder got in a groove with four straight scores, three by Hess. The last was a 3-pointer from several feet back of the arc to put the Pioneers ahead 23-21 with just under four minutes to go.
Four different Chieftains then scored, while the defense held Alder to a single basket by Garrett Bauer.
Another Bauer score made it 29-27, but Salyer hit a shot with just over a minute to go, then set up Mundy for two.
The only free throws of the half came with 10 seconds left, as Ryan Mark hit both for Alder. Another last-second score, this by Newcomb, sent the Chieftains to the break still up six.
In the third quarter, the teams exchanged scores early on. The pattern continued over the next few minutes, with each Chieftains basket drawing a response by Alder.
Two trips to the free throw line by Bellefontaine saw Mundy make one and C.J. Butler both to make it 46-38. But Alder responded with foul shots by Danny Bentley and a fast-break score and bonus free throw by Trey Bentley.
After another exchange, Butler got an assist by Newcomb to put Bellefontaine up 50-45 after three rounds.
Mundy connected to start the period. However, that would be their only points for almost the entire rest of the contest.
After a foul shot by Hess, Danny Bentley hit a corner three and then two free throws. With 4:10 to go, a layup by Mark put Jonathan Alder back ahead for the first time since the second quarter. Hess made it a three-pointer game, then the Pioneers began running time off the clock.
They added two more scores, meanwhile Bellefontaine had a turnover and a missed 3-pointer. A basket by Lotts with 18 seconds to go, and a free throw by Hess accounted for the final margin.
Bellefontaine lost the JV contest 47-37. A.J. Conaway had 19 points for the Chiefs.
In the freshmen game, Bellefontaine won 49-46 on a shot by Conner Horvath. Reign St. Clair had 14 points.
The sectional tournament draw for the boys will be held this Sunday. “We’ll figure somewhere in the middle of the pack of 16,” said Stolly. “”We just got to take it a game at a time right now and try to build off the good things that we did tonight, but also learn off of some of the things that didn’t go our way in the fourth quarter.”
Bellefontaine is back in action tonight at Troy. Next week, they close out the regular season with games at London on Tuesday and Kenton Ridge on Friday.
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In other boys basketball Friday:
WL-S downs Northeastern
West Liberty-Salem defeated visiting Northeastern 76-61 in Ohio Heritage Conference play.
The Tigers improve to 11-4 in the OHC and 11-9 overall.
Isaiah Reames led all scorers with 21 points. Beckett Sullivan had 16 and Troy Christison added 13.
West Liberty-Salem outscored Northeastern in each period, leading 41-32 at the half.
The junior varsity Tigers won 50-11. Josiah Johnson had 15 points and Asher Cole 11 for WL-S.
West Liberty-Salem hosts Indian Lake on Tuesday and Fairbanks on Friday to close out the regular season.
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Pirates topple Covington
Riverside defeated Covington 73-57 in a Three Rivers Conference contest on the road.
Jaxon Woods had 25 points and 18 rebounds, along with six assists. Brody Orsborne contributed 14 points, six boards and five assists and Gavin Orsborne added 13 points.
Hayden Sanford got 12 points and Landon Purtee had seven. Each of them had three rebounds and two assists. Carter Kreglow grabbed five rebounds.
The JV game went to Riverside 50-46. Syler Clark had 14 points, Cooper Crouch 10 and Justin Mazariegos seven.
Covington won the freshmen game 43-18. Gave Steineman had seven points, Aiden Foust had six, and Garrett Purtee got eight rebounds.
Riverside is 3-10 in the league and 6-14 overall. They host Houston tonight and finish the regular season Tuesday against Milton-Union, also at home.
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Lakers down Raiders
Indian Lake defeated visiting Benjamin Logan 57-23 in CBC play.
Avery Pequignot led the Lakers with 19 points. Cooper Hall and Brody Reisinger had 11 apiece.
For Ben Logan, Camden Spriggs and Peyton Vermillion each put in six.
It was 36-10 Indian Lake at the intermission.
Indian Lake won the JV game 53-43. Brady Golliday scored 23 points for the Lakers. Ben Logan’s Cayden Powell had 18 points and Adam Tinsman added 13.
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Cardinals fall to Fairbanks
Triad lost to Fairbanks 73-35 in an OHC matchup at Fairbanks.
The Panthers led 49-13 at the break.
Scoring information for Triad was not available.
Triad is 0-14 in the conference and 1-17 overall. They play at Madison Plains this evening.
Remaining games are with Shekinah Christian, Mechanicsburg and Ben Logan.