The Bushnell-Prairie City High School boys basketball teams played their final two contests before the holidays with both squads coming away with a split.
The Spartan varsity battled its way past visiting ROWVA/Williamsfield 53-44 on Dec. 18 in Bushnell.
The game was originally scheduled for Dec. 13, but postponed due to weather and road conditions.
Trailing 15-13 after the opening period, B-PC recorded four 3-pointers as part of an 18-point second quarter in taking a 31-27 halftime lead.
Connor Palm’s buzzer- beating trey upped the lead from one to four points.
Palm and De’Arion Ruffin- Thomas combined for all 11 Spartan points in the third frame as the hosts held a 42-34 advantage heading into the final eight minutes.
Ruffin-Thomas sank three free throws in the final 20 seconds that helped B-PC close out the victory.
Palm topped B-PC with 18 points, including four 3-pointers.
Ruffin-Thomas added 16 points, while Braylon Griffitts also reached double figures in scoring, adding 14, all in the opening half.
Christian Graybill chipped in three points, while Dylan King added two for the Spartans.
ROWVA/Williamsfield remained winless, dropping to 0-9 with the loss.
In JV play, the visiting Cougars outscored B-PC in all four quarters on the way to coasting to a 71-44 victory.
ROWVA/Williamsfield built a 20-10 lead after the initial eight minutes and enjoyed a 33-17 halftime advantage.
The Cougars led 51-31 as the game entered the final period.
Thomas Anderson topped B-PC with eight points.
John Malda added seven points, followed by Alex Kohler and King with six points each.
Miles Strode added four points, followed by Konnor Stewart, Landon Ferguson and Charles Rudolph with three points apiece.
Oliver Chambers and Reese Klinedinst rounded out the B-PC scoring with two points each.
On Saturday, the Spartans made the 80-mile trip to Hartsburg for non-conference play against host Hartsburg-Emden.
The varsity contest saw B-PC garb an early 12-point lead only to see the Stags rally in the final three quarters in posting a 53-43 victory.
It was the first win for Hart-Em after an 0-10 start. B-PC dropped to 2-8.
Playing the contest with the 35-second shot clock, the Spartans jumped out to a 15-3 lead just over five minutes into the game as Palm scored seven points, while Ruffin-Thomas and Griffitts added four points each.
But the Stags scored the final seven points of the quarter, slicing their deficit to 15-10.
Griffitts scored eight of B-PC’s 12 second period points as the Spartans maintained a 27-20 halftime lead.
The Spartan offense struggled in the third frame, managing just one basket, a three-pointer by Palm with 39 seconds left. That allowed Hart-Em to take a 32-31 lead heading into the decisive eight minutes.
The contest was knotted at 40-40 with under three minutes remaining. But a layup by Kyler Williams with 2:37 to go gave the Stags the lead for good.
B-PC attempted 33 more shots than Hart-Em (7239) but finished with just three more baskets (1815). In addition, the Stags attempted 38 free throws, making 20, while the Spartans finished just 3-of-7.
Griffitts topped B-PC with 16 points, 12 in the first half, while Palm added 12, seven in the opening quarter.
Ruffin-Thomas added six points, followed by Graybill with four, Jayden Robinson with two and Anderson with one.
The JV contest saw B-PC lead 10-0 after the opening quarter on the way to a 32-25 victory.
Playing six minute periods due to low numbers for Hart-Em, the Spartans built a 21-5 halftime lead and held a 28-18 edge heading into the final stanza.
Anderson led B-PC with 16 points, 12 in the opening half.
Shaden Shannon added five points, followed by Malda with four, Strode with three and Kohler and Rudolph with two apiece.
The B-PC varsity returns to action on Dec. 27 playing at the Macomb-Western Holiday Tournament in Macomb.
