Braves hang tough, fall to Washington in sub-state

Archive for Friday, March 6, 2009

March 6, 2009

Kansas City, Kan. — The Bonner Springs boys have been underdogs all season on the basketball court, and Thursday was no exception in the first round of the Class 5A sub-state tournament.

That said, the Braves put up a mighty effort before falling to Washington, 89-73, in one of the city's loudest gyms.

The loss ends the season for the Braves — a season in which they were able to win six games despite only returning one player with prior varsity experience.

The Braves jumped out to an early lead, 18-8, behind 11 first-quarter points by sophomore guard Juan Pichardo. Washington quickly countered with a 16-2 run to close out the quarter and headed into the second leading 24-20.

The two squads exchanged baskets in the second quarter and scored at a blistering pace. After the track-meet quarter, Washington led 49-46 at intermission.

The pace slowed in the second half and the two teams cooled off from the floor. Washington took advantage of its height inside, but only held a four-point lead heading into the final period.

The Wildcats used a 17-4 run to bury the Braves to start the fourth quarter and seal the victory.

Pichardo finished with 21 points and senior forward Jared Brailsford chipped in 11.

For a full recap pick up Thursday's edition of The Chieftain.