EDDYVILLE

A tough challenge awaited the Golden Hawks in the second round of postseason basketball, going on the road to face off against the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Rockets. 

Despite facing a 15-point deficit in the beginning of the game, Mid-Prairie did not back down and played the Rockets close in the following quarters, but they were unable to complete the comeback as EBF defeated Mid-Prairie, 73-61 on Feb. 15  

“EBF started off quick with hitting shots, running the floor well and scoring in transition. We found ourselves in a 20-5 deficit.  After our timeout our guys did a tremendous job of responding by defending and limiting second chance opportunities on the defensive end,” Mid-Prairie coach Daren Lambert said.   

“Our defensive effort sprung us forward to bring the game back within reach.  Ultimately, EBF did a good job of scoring in the paint, where they had a physical advantage with their length and size.”

Mid-Prairie entered the fourth only trailing by five, but the Rockets were able to limit the Hawks to under ten points in the final quarter to collect the win and advance to the Class 2A semifinals. 

“Our guys’ response to the adversity that they faced is something that we consistently talk about throughout the entire season.  The players didn’t back down and continued to fight which as a coach is all you can ask for,” coach Lambert said. 

Leading all scorers with nearly 30 points was EBF senior Brooks Moore with an impressive 27 points scored.

Mid-Prairie was led by two players scoring over 20. Junior Ace Peck scored six 3-pointers to finish with 23 points and sophomore Bryce Henry scored five 3-pointers to finish with 21 points. 

“Ace Peck and Bryce Henry carried us offensively by hitting shots on the perimeter,” coach Lambert said. “Their performances on the offensive end were a big part of keeping this game close.  Both players were aggressive and confident, and their performance showed.”

Leading Mid-Prairie in assists was junior Brady Weber who also scored seven points of his own. 

“Brady Weber added in nine assists and did a great job of distributing the basketball to his teammates putting them in position to score,” coach Lambert said. 

With their year ending in the second round Mid-Prairie completes its season with a 12-10 record and 6-6 record in conference play. 

They will say goodbye to six seniors: Carson Pence, Kurt Schneider, Beau Flynn, Brock Harland, Dylan Henry, and Landon Sullivan.