BonnerSprings.com

For the longest time Friday night it seemed like the Mill Valley boys basketball team was going to run away with a victory over Bonner Springs.

The Jaguars took control early and looked like they were going to put the game away comfortably. A furious rally by BSHS changed all that, and the game was up for grabs in the final minutes before Mill Valley put the game away at the free throw line to win, 77-66, at the Bonner Springs YMCA.

“They did a tremendous job fighting all night long and scrapping,” MVHS assistant coach Adam King said of Bonner Springs. “They just play extremely hard. They’d be a fun group of kids to coach.”

Early on it was the Jaguars who were having all the fun.

Max Carroll pumped in 6 first-quarter points, and Jonathan Anaekwe, Tanner Rainbolt, Sterling Roaf and Chad Perkins added 4 apiece as the Jaguars built a 22-16 advantage.

Carroll and Taylor Reinoehl scored 6 points apiece and Kellen Kinnamon had 5 in a 17-4 run to open the second quarter. That gave the Jaguars a 39-20 lead. Roaf threw down a one-handed jam late in the half to serve as an exclamation point on a dominant half and the Jaguars took a 45-32 lead into the locker room.

“We were very pleased with the way we were performing offensively,” King said. “Offensively, we felt like we were getting the ball where we needed to in good scoring position. We just needed to get a stop at the other end to build a little momentum.”

Meanwhile, BSHS coach Ryan Hull wasn’t pleased with his team’s organization in the first half.

“Defensively, we were trapping with three guys instead of as a team,” he said. “We were doing a lot of one-on-one on offense, whereas (the Jaguars) were just making pass, pass, layup.”

The Braves briefly cut the deficit to 10 early in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Brett Steuart. An 11-3 run by Mill Valley pressed the lead to 18 points with 3:45 left in the third quarter. Again, it seemed like the lead was safe.

The Jaguars led 62-47 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but that’s when the Braves came charging back. Jared Brailsford slashed to the basket for a layup early in the quarter, but Anaekwe answered with a layup for Mill Valley. A 3-point play by J.J. Jackson pulled BSHS within 64-52 with 5:56 left, but Rainbolt countered with two free throws.

Moments later Juan Pichardo knocked down a jump shot. Then the Braves forced a turnover and got the ball to Steuart for a 3-pointer that brought BSHS within single digits. A steal by Steuart led to a layup by Brailsford and forced MVHS to call a timeout. It didn’t make a difference. The next time the Braves got the ball, Kyle Day scored on a layup. Two possessions later, Day swished two free throws and drew Bonner Springs within 66-63 with 2:59 to go.

With the victory in doubt, Mill Valley turned back to its trusted hand: Max Carroll. After two free throws from Kyle Powers, Carroll scored on a turnaround jumper. Then he made a pair of free throws on the next possession. Suddenly the Jaguars were back in control.

“He’s a rock for us offensively,” King said of Carroll. “It’s a nice security blanket when you know you can dump it there and either get to the free throw line or get a bucket.”

Powers, Rainbolt and Anaekwe added free throws down the stretch to lock up the victory.

Despite the loss, Hull said he was proud of his players for fighting back after trailing by as many as 19 points. He said he just wished they would’ve started clicking earlier.

“It’s what they’re capable of doing, and that’s why I think we’re walking out of here at least with our heads held high,” Hull said. “They knew that they were not doing what they needed to early on, that was the disappointing thing. But it’s not our last game. It’s our last game here (at home), but it’s not our last game of the season.”

Carroll led Mill Valley with a game-high 25 points on 10-for-14 shooting and a 5-for-6 effort at the free throw line. Also for the Jaguars, Rainbolt and Roaf scored 10 points apiece, Anaekwe and Kinnamon each had 9, Reinoehl scored 6, Perkins had 4 and Powers added 4.

Brailsford led BSHS with 17 points, while Jackson and Day scored 11 apiece. Also for the Braves, Pichardo and Steuart scored 6 points apiece, Luke Terrell had 4, Isaac Mills and Cameron Callahan each had 3, Chris Smith had 2, Austin Laing had 2 and Chance Crawford scored 1.

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