Regardless of what type of season a team may be having, facing it on its senior night is never an easy task.
Despite owning just three wins on the season, Payson-Seymour gave visiting Macomb all it could handle before the Bombers exited with a 54-50 victory.
Macomb upped its record to 20-9 on the season, reaching the 20-win plateau for the fifth consecutive season.
Payson-Seymour dropped to 3-23, suffering its seventh straight loss.
“It was a tough game in a very hostile environment,” said MHS coach Jeremy Anderson. “Our guys did a good job keeping their composure.”
Nick Elbe and Carter Havens combined for 11 points in the opening eight minutes. But the Bombers trailed the Indians 16-15 as senior Nolan Sparks and junior Landon Gooding also combined for 11 points.
Kellen Martin sparked the MHS offense in the second period, scoring eight points, including a pair of 3s.
Havens added four points, while Isaac Leinbach and Cooper Hobson chipped in three points each as Macomb outscored Payson 19-13 to take a 34-29 halftime lead.
The scoring pace slowed for both teams in the third frame.
Macomb had nine points, including Martin’s third trey of the game, while Gooding accounted for six of the Indians’ eight points.
That left the Bombers with a 43-37 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Macomb held the upper hand as the final 48 seconds saw the two teams combine to shoot 18 free throws.
Drew Watson made 5-of-6, including the game’s final point that gave the Bombers their four-point lead with 6.5 seconds left.
Leinbach also added a free throw in the waning seconds.
“We made just enough free throws down the stretch,” said Anderson.
Martin, starting in place of Watson, topped the Bombers with 16 points, including four 3-pointers.
Elbe added 10 for the Bombers, while Havens scored nine points, all in the first half.
Watson returned to action Tuesday after missing the Feb. 13 game against Camp Point Central due to a hamstring injury.
He did not start Tuesday, but entered the contest at the 4:20 mark in the first quarter. Watson finished the night with seven points.
Leinbach finished with six points, while Nolan Hoge and Hobson added three points apiece.
“We had some guys step up when we had starters limited by injuries,” said Anderson.
Gooding and Sparks topped Payson-Seymour with 13 and 11 points respectively.
Both teams had five 3-pointers and made nine free throws. The Bombers had 15 two-point baskets, compared to 13 for the Indians.
MHS was 9-of-15 from the free throw line, compared to 9-of-12 for Payson-Seymour.
The JV contest saw Macomb improve to 15-11 on the season with a 38-28 victory.
The Bombers led 11-4 after the opening quarter and 27-12 at halftime. MHS maintained a 31-19 advantage heading into the final stanza.
Macomb won despite having just three players score.
Corey Robinson led the way with 16 points, including three 3s, all in the opening half.
Luke Chapla added 13, 11 in the first half, while Cameron Keene scored nine, seven in the second half.
Carter Davenport paced Payson-Seymour with eight points.
The Bombers wrap up the regular season Friday, hosting Monmouth- Roseville (11-17) at The Hangar.
The two teams played at The Shoebox in Monmouth on Jan. 17 with the Bomber varsity winning 59-48, while the JV lost 40-34.
The Bombers varsity will begin Illinois High School Association Class 2A Regional play on Feb. 25 at Downs.
MHS, the No. 5 sub-sectional seed, will face No. 4 sub-sectional seed Bloomington Central Catholic (19-12) in the 7:30 p.m. semifinal.
Regional play begins on Feb. 23 when No. 9 seed Downs Tri-Valley (1412) plays at No. 8 seed Peoria Christian (19-7).
That winner will face top-seed Peoria Manual (17-9) in the 6 p.m. semifinal at Downs.
The title game is scheduled for Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. also at Downs.
