S U N D AY, M A R C H 6 , 2 0 1 6

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Rowdy Crowd
makes case
for student
section

ALL AMERICANS

The Rowdy Crowd shows their American pride by sporting the red, white
and blue colors Friday during the Sub-State championship between Liberal
and Maize.The Rowdy Crowd reached a fevered pitch to help the Redskins
rally from 12 points down to earn a 61-55 win. L&T photo/Earl Watt

Redskins

I Continued from Page 2C

Timothy Fitzgerald charges down the baseline for a basket Friday in the fourth quarter against Maize. Fitzgerald
scored 15 points in a 61-55 come-from-behind win for the Sub-State championship. L&T photo/Earl Watt

basket for the Eagles with 3:05 to

play, but the Redskins didnt let up.
Fitzgerald again attacked the
baseline and put up a shot that
rolled around the rim and in, and
the Redskins were back up by two.
Maize had a good inside look on
its next possession, but the ball
sailed over the rim and into the
hands of Green.
He passed the ball up the court,
and the all ended up in the hands of
Evans who made a shot, and the
Redskins had a 53-49 lead with
2:03 to play.
Liberal had a defensive stop but
turned the all over, and the Dylan
Johnson made a basket and was
fouled by Thomas. He made the
free throw, and with 1:39 to play,
Liberal had a 53-52 lead.
Maize started to foul and sent
Fitzgerald to the line where he
made one of two attempts.
Maize had a chance to take the
lead and attempted a three-point
shot, but it missed, and Thomas
rebounded and was fouled.
But Thomas missed both shots
with 59.6 seconds to play, and
Maize still had a chance to tie or
take the lead.
Maize pushed inside and had
another good look, but again the
shot missed, and Liberal pushed
the all up the court and into the
hands of Cade Hinkle, who was
surrounded by two Maize
defenders reaching in for the ball.
The Eagles were whistled for the
foul, but their bench wanted a
jump ball call. As Hinkle
approached the free throw line,
Maizes Grant Bugbee shared his
displeasure with the call and was
awarded a technical foul.
Hinkle missed both of his shots,
and Fitzgerald came to the line to
shoot the technicals and only made
one of two, keeping Maize in the
game with only a three-point
deficit, 55-52 with 26.9 seconds to
play.
Liberal kept possession after the
technical and after playing keepaway, Hinkle found a wide open
Markalyn Eatmon under the basket
who caught the pass near the rim
and pushed it into the basket
before hitting the floor, and Liberal
had a 57-52 lead with 16 seconds to
play.
Another Maize miss led to
another Maize foul, and another
outlet pass ended up in Eatmons

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hands who pushed to the basket

and put up a shot while being
shoved in the back by a Maize
defender. The basket was good, and
Maize was called for an intentional
foul with 9.1 seconds to play.
Eatmon made one of two shots,
and the Redskins kept possession.
Instead of letting the clock run
out, Maize committed another foul
with 5.8 seconds to play, and
Hinkle made one of two shots
before Maize made a last-second
three-pointer, and the Redskins
celebrated a 61-55 win.

FALLING BEHIND
Prior to the rally, the Redskins
watched Maize build a lead by
using the long ball.
The Eagles were seven of seven
from three-point distance in the
first half.
Liberal didnt make a threepointer until the final 2:31 of the
first half, and Fitzgerald knocked
down a deep corner shot before
Thomas banked in a three and then
hit a three at the buzzer to cut a
nine-point Maize lead back to six at
half.
The Redskins have had a
tendency to start the second half
strong, but Maize extended its lead

early in the third quarter.

The Eagles outscored the
Redskins 10-4 in the first four
minutes of the second half, and the
Eagles had a 12-point lead, 43-31.
Thats when the Redskin rally
started and never stopped until the
Redskins finally put the game away
in the final 16 seconds.
After giving up seven first-half
threes, Liberal only allowed two in
the second half including the
desperation shot at the end after
the game was already decided.
We knew they were seven for
seven, Green said. That was
amazing, but they cant go seven
for seven again with tough defense.
We came out as a family and played
hard and worked hard. We got the
dub tonight.
Green scored 15 points and had
14 rebounds for a double double in
the Sub-State championship.
My role was to get rebounds and
put points up, Green said. But
my best role was playing with my
teammates.
Senior Fitzgerald played his last
game in The Big House and scored
15 points. Thomas also scored 15 in
the win.
Liberal advanced tot he Class 5A
State Tournament that begins
Wednesday in Topeka.
Green said the team had one
goal left for the season.
Win state, he said. Thats it.