Cashion downs Dale to end epic stretch

If not for Crossings Christian, the Cashion boys basketball team might very well be looking at a perfect record this basketball season.

But, Cashion battled CCS twice this season, including last Friday as part of a brutal eight-day stretch in which the Wildcats played five games.

The Knights, ranked fifth in Class 3A, survived Cashion 58-54 at home.

Cashion bounced back Monday to defeat 2A’s second-ranked Dale 56-55 at home on Senior Night to cap the season-ending obstacle course with a 4-1 mark.

Overall, Cashion ended the regular season 21-2. Both losses were to CCS by a combined six points.

“We had our chances,” coach John Hardaway said of the loss to CCS.

That was the team’s fourth game in five days as the Wildcats were coming off wins over Crescent, Okarche and Hennessey (also in OT) to claim the Three Rivers Conference title.

Cashion outscored Crossings 15-12 in the fourth to force overtime, but couldn’t overcome the elements in the extra frame.

Jacob Woody scored 22 in defeat. Vance Raney added 12.

The Dale matchup was also the second of the season as Cashion downed the Pirates 53-42 on Jan. 25.

This meeting came down to the very end and Cashion nearly let it slip away.

Alex Nabavi’s backdoor baseline cut and bucket off a feed from Raney put Cashion on top, 56-55, with 1:46 to play.

But the Wildcats failed to extend their lead, missing five free throws over the final 18.4 seconds.

After Jonah Jenkins missed the front end of a one-and-one, Woody fouled Dale’s Trey Thompson with 6.9 seconds left.

That fouled out Woody and sent Thompson to the line. His shot went in and out as Raney grabbed the rebound.

He was fouled with 4.2 seconds remaining, but promptly missed two foul shots.

However, he grabbed a rebound off his second miss before a jump ball was forced.

The possession arrow went to Dale, but the Pirates tossed it out of bounds.

Cashion’s Austin Frazier then missed two more free throws with 1.1 seconds to play, but Dale couldn’t get off a potential game-winning shot in time.

Cashion was able to open a 10-point halftime lead by outscoring Dale 24-10 in the second quarter. But the Pirates stormed right back with their own 17-4 run in the third.

Jenkins paced Cashion with 15 points.

T.J. Roberts, who also had a big late bucket, added 14 as did Nabavi.

Thompson scored 16 for Dale.

Lady Wildcats get past CCS, fall to No. 5 Dale

Dale’s girls flexed some defensive muscle in the second half to earn a 64-43 win.

Cashion’s regular season ends with a 15-8 mark.

The Lady Wildcats hung tough with the fifth-ranked team in 2A through the first half and trailed just 33-29 at the break.

But Dale allowed just 14 points in the second half, which included a 20-8 spurt over the fourth quarter.

Neeley Tilley-Bedick and Cedar Stewart paced Cashion with 12 points apiece.

Brook Shelly scored nine.

The loss came three days after Cashion was triumphant at Crossings Christian, 61-55, in overtime.

Sophomore Lauren Lamb played the role of hero.

With her team down by three with 2.8 seconds left in regulation, Lamb was fouled on a corner 3-point attempt.

She calmly sank all three free to force the extra frame.

Once there, the Lady Wildcats outscored CCS 6-0.

Shelly scored 18 points, including the go-ahead bucket with 2:09 to play in overtime.

Kaitin Taylor chipped in 12 and Lamb finished with nine.